3 Easy-Breezy Steps to Becoming a Morning Person

3 Easy-Breezy Steps to Becoming a Morning Person

If you’re a morning person, you wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, feeling ready to tackle whatever the day has in store for you. Unfortunately, most of us can’t claim to fall into this category, no matter how hard we try to force ourselves to enjoy mornings. Instead, most of us roll out of bed feeling groggy and hating the sound of the alarm. But what if we told you that you could change from a person that hits the snooze button repeatedly to one that greets the sun with a smile? Becoming a morning person will not only make your life easier, it’s actually been found that morning people are happier than those that dread waking up, and they also tend to be healthier and less stressed by life in general. That’s why we’re here to share 3 simple and pain-free steps to help you make the transformation from snooze button hitter to bona fide morning person!

Step 1: Invest in Better Sleep for Brighter Mornings

Your first step in becoming a morning person is to make sure you’re planning ahead by getting a good night’s rest. That’s why we’ve gathered up the following quick and easy tips for sleeping better each and every night.

Eat (and drink) with sleep in mind

Believe it or not, something as simple as what you eat and drink can have an impact on your ability to fall (and stay) asleep. In order to encourage better sleep and discourage sleep disturbances, you should avoid heavy meals before bedtime, cut back on caffeine and alcohol, and slow your liquid intake at least 3 hours before hitting the hay.

Nap smart

Many of us are dealing with some serious sleep debt from not getting enough rest at night. Grabbing a short daytime nap is a great way to feel more refreshed and energized, as long as it’s done the right way. You should make sure not to nap too close to bedtime and keep your midday snooze sessions to no more than 30 minutes, otherwise, you could have trouble sleeping later that night.

Ease up on evening responsibilities

You already know how hard it can be to find the ideal work-life balance. This becomes even more difficult when you’re trying to shut off your mind so you can get some much-needed sleep. You can help yourself with this by scheduling a “zero commitments” hour each night before bedtime. Ditching your responsibilities and focusing on nothing but winding down for 60 minutes will send a signal to your body and mind that it’s time to rest.

Add relaxation to your evening routine

In addition to ditching evening commitments, making sure that relaxation is a part of your pre-bedtime routine will help you to get to sleep faster and easier. Try taking part in one of your favorite low-key activities during your commitment-free evenings, such as having a cup of chamomile tea, reading a good book, or doing some light yoga.

Shift your sleep schedule

One of the best things you can do to encourage better rest is to keep a consistent sleep-wake schedule. This means going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including on the weekends. If you’re struggling with getting to sleep at a decent hour, try scheduling your bedtime earlier, using a slow adjustment period of just 15 minutes per night, which will ease you into the healthier sleep habit of turning in sooner.

Make good use of sleep technology

While it’s always better to ban electronic devices from the bedroom to avoid the disturbance of blue light from the screens, there are some amazing sleep gadgets out there that can help you get the rest that you need. You might want to check out one of the apps that monitor your activity as you sleep and helps you to identify anything that could be disturbing your slumber.

Focus on comfort

It’s been shown that light, temperature, and noise can all have an impact on how well you sleep at night. Make sure that your bedroom is a haven of cool and quiet comfort by setting the thermostat to around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, blocking out any unwanted light with room darkening curtains, and adding a fan or white noise machine to banish any sound disturbances. By focusing on your bedtime comfort, you’ll fall asleep faster and sleep deeper than ever before.

Lull yourself to sleep with the right mattress

When it comes to being comfortable while you sleep, it could be argued that the most important step is finding the right mattress for you. If you’re doing your best to fall asleep each night, but can’t seem to find the “sweet spot” you need to drift off to Dream Land, it might be time to invest in better rest with a new gel-infused memory foam mattress, as this has been found to be the best material for ultimate bedtime comfort.

Prep for the day ahead

Set yourself up for successful mornings by preparing for the next day ahead of time. Gather up anything you might need for work or school and put it by the front door. Pre-pack your lunch so you can just grab it on the way out the door. Pick out your outfit for the next day. You just might be surprised by how much time and stress you can save by tackling these small tasks the night before!

Step 2: Take the Pain Out of Waking Up

Now that you’ve learned some great ways to avoid feeling sleep deprived and how to get the high-quality sleep that you need, it’s time for some tips on how to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to enjoy pain-free mornings.

Change up your snooze cycle

If you truly want to become a morning person, it might be time to turn your thinking about the snooze button upside down. While your first temptation is to quiet your alarm when it starts blaring in the morning, if you want to ease the pain of waking up, your best bet is to get moving instead. Try keeping your alarm across the room from your bed, which will force you to get up to stop the noise, giving your body the physical boost it needs to wake up more naturally.

Take advantage of the lighter side

If you’re lucky enough to wake up before your alarm goes off, don’t be lulled back into the welcoming arms of sleep. Waking up before the alarm means that you’re in a light sleep cycle, which makes waking up easier. But if you give into temptation and drift off again, you might slip back into a deep stage of sleep, which will make you feel groggier when your alarm does go off later on.

Look to technology (again)

You’ve already learned that there are apps to help you fall asleep, but did you know that there’s also technology out there to help you wake up easier? You might want to try the Sleep Cycle alarm, which uses motion sensors in your smartphone to help you wake up with less trouble by rousing you during a light stage of sleep. This gives you the chance to start your day feeling less groggy and better prepared for what lies ahead of you.

Get motivated

Almost everyone enjoys having something to look forward to in the near future, whether it’s a present, a raise at work, or simply some much-needed time off. You can put this fact to work for you in the mornings by making sure that you have something ready to be enjoyed after you get out of bed. It could be a lunch date with your partner, a new outfit, or even just the promise of a good book to read on your work break.

Get active

One of the best ways to get yourself ready to tackle the day is to get moving as soon as you wake up. Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting that you launch into a workout routine as soon as you roll out bed! Try doing some simple stretches to get your blood flowing and help you feel more alert before you even leave your room. You can find some great ideas for a morning stretching routine in the Stretch It app for your smartphone.

Start the day with some sunshine

Once you’re out of bed, give your body’s natural clock a chance to kick in and get you awake and alert by adding some light to your morning. Open the blinds to let some sunshine into your home or maybe enjoy your first cup of coffee on the front porch. This dose of natural light will do wonders to assist you in feeling ready for your day.

Step 3: Create a Stress-Free Morning Routine

Congratulations! You’ve enjoyed a great night’s sleep and managed to avoid a painful waking up process. Now, it’s time to further encourage the morning person in you to come out before you even leave the house by using these tips to start an improved (and stress-free) morning routine.

Give yourself a healthy head start

You’ve probably heard your entire life that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and with good reason! Eating a morning meal that’s packed with whole grains and protein will help you feel energized and keep you feeling full until lunchtime rolls around. It might seem like you don’t have time for a healthy breakfast, but there are some quick and delicious recipes out there that take practically no effort and help you shine throughout your morning.

Give the day a productive boost

When you prep for your day the night before, lay off the snooze button, and use technology to get better sleep and wake up easier, you’ll soon find that you have some extra time in the mornings. Why not use it to check a couple of items off of your to-do list? You’ll not get more done by making good use of those extra minutes, you’ll also feel productive before you even get to the office. Bonus!

Sweat your way to extra energy

It’s been proven that your willpower is higher in the morning than it is later on in the day. Take advantage of this fact by scheduling your trip to the gym before you head into work. Not only will working out make you feel more energized, you won’t have to worry about exercise keeping you up at night, as it tends to do when it’s done too late into the evening hours.

More Ways to Get Better Sleep for Better Mornings

If you’re interested in learning more about getting the rest you need to become a morning person, you might want to take a look at these other helpful posts on easy steps to better sleep. Is Getting Better Sleep as Simple as Making Your Bed? Better Sleep from Simply Getting Up and Getting Out Your Life’s Purpose Just Might be the Best Sleep Aid
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