WAKE UP, SLEEPY HEAD

Mornings—for so many of us—can be rough, to say the least. Talk about waking up on the wrong side of the bed.

Unfortunately, society tends to reward early risers due to much of the world operating on an insanely eager “get-up-and-at-em” schedule.  Rushing your way to an 8 a.m. meeting or attempting to shuttle your kids to school before the tardy bell, most of us just have to get on board with early morning realities.

Doing so, however, can leave us feeling desperate for some zzz’s.

So whether you’re a night owl or you just can’t turn your brain off when you crawl into bed—in a perfect world, we’d all wake up feeling calm, refreshed and ready to face the day head on.

It’s possible to change your ways and become a “morning lark” by following these tips.

Here's how:

1. Get enough sleep and let "bedtime" take care of itself.

Getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night will make waking up so much easier. So get your mind ready for bed but don’t overthink it or “plan” on a bedtime. Simply lose the devices and create a bedtime routine about an hour before. Run a warm bath, read a good book, or find something else that soothes you.

Then...Enter Sandman 🤘🏼

2. Skip the snooze by setting a smart alarm.

Hitting “Snooze” four times and surfing your phone for an hour won’t help you become a morning person. Set the alarm for the same time every morning—weekends too! Set one alarm (maybe one other for back up in case you sleep through it)—not a beep or blare but something soothing and fun. Remember, the faster you get out of bed, the faster you can enjoy your morning cup of coffee.

3. Let the light in!

Wherever you are, make it bright. Keep the blinds open during the night or head outside as you swig your morning cup of joe. Light tells the brain the day has started and pumps up your vitamin D too.

4. Eat a good breakfast—high in protein and low in carbs.

Go for eggs and yogurt or a protein shake with your favorite cup of coffee versus that bagel! Protein will help make you ready for the day, boost your brain power and provide energy and motivation to knock your day out of the park.

5. Exercise right away in the morning.

Relax—you don’t have to run a marathon to feel the positive effects of a morning calorie burn. Take a spin on the bike, jog a little, walk the dog. Any exercise will boost your energy for the entire day, lower blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety and help you get your shut eye at night.

6. Squash that urge to nap.

While you’re trying to change your habits, you may really have to fight heavy eyelids, but if you can save the cat nap for the feline in your life, you’ll doze off at a good time at night. 

7. Make the mornings pleasant with “you time.”

Reward yourself with something that will motivate you to get out of bed. Brew your favorite coffee, sit by the fireplace or jam out to Metallica. 🎸

You might never really love seeing the sunrise, but with a little effort, mornings will be much less painful, you’ll feel really good about yourself and wake up ready to take on the world!

And just remember that it doesn’t have to happen overnight—literally.  

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