7–8 hours of sleep. That’s exactly how much time a healthy adult needs to feel completely awake. It is advisory to go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on weekends. This is how a regimen is created. It will not let you ignore the alarm clock. No time for a healthy night’s rest? You get 4–5 hours of sleep a day and want to feel awake and energized? It is possible. The following tips from doctors, psychologists, and coaches will show you how.
Why can’t you fall asleep on time and what to do:
1. You got up late in the morning and now can’t sleep a wink.
If you woke up at 4 PM, then going to bed at 10 PM will be quite hard. No rituals can help here. Even if you worked out for hours, you would feel sleepy only at 2–3 AM anyway. The only solution here is to get up early.
2. You are afraid of sleeping through your alarm.
Let’s say you need to wake up early to get on your plane on time. The trip has been planned, it is incredibly important, and the tickets are expensive. You are afraid of sleeping through your alarm, and this fear prevents you from falling asleep. As a result, you go to sleep an hour later. You hear the alarm go off, but don’t turn it off just to lie in your bed for 2 more seconds. Then you fall into a deep sleep. To avoid that, solve the real problem. You aren’t afraid of sleeping through, you are scared to be late for your plane. That is why you need to convince yourself that you are going to wake up full of energy, completely awake, and energized. Imagine how you get up on time and feel great.
3. You can’t fall asleep because of severe stress.
If you had a difficult and stressful day, you need to prepare yourself for sleep. It is recommended that you use drawing as a way of relaxation instead of using sedatives or any other pills. Drawing can actually calm you down and help you focus on the tip of your pencil. It is important that you don’t think about anything for a while. It doesn’t matter whether you can draw or not. It doesn’t matter what you’re drawing on or how you’re drawing either. What’s important here is the process itself.
4. Tomorrow is a difficult day.
Lots of planned things for the next day, an important event, exam, or a project presentation. All this can leave you wide awake in the middle of the night. You are scared of failing, but you can also anticipate something exciting and pleasant. Drawing will help you with that again, it will protect you from niggling fears and thoughts. Even simple geometric drawing can help you abstract yourself from the present moment.
5. You are depressed.
If you’re trying to overcome depression and feel its presence, then your biochemistry might force you to stay awake rather than your mental state. The best way to fall asleep in this case is to exhaust yourself. Take a math book and try to solve some problems. Try to find a solution. Intensive mental activity has the ability to drain you. Physical activity is a great choice as well. Clean your house, have an evening walk, do some exercises at home. You need to tire yourself out.
20 tips to waking up early
1. Find your motivation. How can waking up early become easier for you if you have no idea why you need it? First things first, you need to realize why you need to wake up early and its benefits that will be granted to you once you create a regimen.
2. Stop fighting your alarm clock. It’s better to learn to wake up without it. However, for starters, just stop hitting the snooze button.
3. Stop thinking about those “five minutes”. As soon as this idea comes up in your head, get up as quickly as you can and have a wash. 10-15 minutes later your drowsiness will pass.
4. Make sure you get enough sleep. Remember that adults should have a 7-8 hour rest. There are no tricks for when you sleep for 1-2 hours.
5. Make yourself comfortable. Buy nice bedding and a comfortable mattress, do up your bedroom. You should sleep in a cozy environment.
6. Let some fresh air in. The more oxygen you have, the faster you fall asleep. The next day you’ll be feeling great.
7. Pick comfortable clothes for sleep. Don’t go to bed in your everyday clothes.
8. Clear your head. Draw, read – do anything you can to get rid of unwanted thoughts before bed.
9. Don’t fall into the trap. Stop listening to music, reading books, and watching movies at night. It robs you of your sleeping time.
10. Don’t eat before sleeping. Your last meal should be 3 hours before bedtime. Keep in mind that your dinner should be light, or your body will have to work all night.
11. Take relaxing baths. Use essential oils and Epsom salt.
12. Turn the lights off. How can you wake up early if you had music playing and lights on all night? Ensure your place is dark and completely silent.
13. Choose nice alarm clock melodies. It shouldn’t be too quiet or heart-breaking. Find something pleasant to your ears as well as positive and rhythmic.
14. Exercise in the morning. It will energize you and give you that boost we all need in the early hours.
15. Hydrate. Take a glass of water in the morning. It will boost your metabolism.
16. Stick to your regimen. Don’t stay in bed on weekends and don’t make excuses.
17. Don’t give up. It will definitely be hard for you to adjust your sleeping schedule. Whatever stands in your way, set your priorities right and choose the right motivation.
18. Listen to cheerful music, have breakfast, and include jogging in your morning routine.
19. Analyze the situation. Realize the benefits that you will get from following your schedule. Be mercantile, always look for benefits.
20. Move more. Work out. It is important to switch between mental and physical activity.
You will find waking up early easier if you have a particular schedule. Don’t give up when you’re halfway through — make sure you stick to your promises. It won’t take long until you see the results.
Bonus Tip:
Try relaxing and meditating while listening to pleasant sounds in the middle of your day. It will at least give you a good mood and help you focus on the rest of the time.
