Are you someone who constantly hits the snooze button? Do you want to learn how to be a morning person? Maybe you’ve seen the numerous TikToks of early birds posting videos of themselves enjoying nature or exercising at the crack of dawn. Or, the many celebrities who boast about waking up at 5 a.m. Now, you’ve decided that you’d like to take part in the early morning lifestyle.
The good news is that it is possible to become a morning person. A study published in Sleep Medicine found that night owls were able to become morning larks by simply tweaking their lifestyle habits. This study also demonstrated that waking up earlier led to serious mental health gains.
What Determines If You Are a Morning Person?
Everyone has a chronotype, which is a natural tendency to wake up at a certain time. Some people are “larks” meaning they wake up early in the morning. Others are “night owls” who like to go to bed late and sleep in. Your chronotype is largely determined by genetics. However, you can train yourself to wake up earlier or later, as your chronotype is also influenced by your environment.
Ready to Wake Up Earlier? Here’s How To Change Your Sleep Habits
With a few simple changes to your sleep and daily schedule, you can become a morning person.
Don’t Skimp on Sleep
Adults need between seven to nine hours of sleep a night to feel restored. Don’t forgo sleep to wake up earlier. This will only cause you to feel exhausted during the day and can lead to health issues like depression.
What determines whether you need seven or nine hours a night? This depends on lifestyle factors like the amount of exercise you get each day. Athletes may need more sleep than sedentary folks. If you take naps during the day, you may need less sleep at night.
Stick to the Same Sleep Schedule Every Day
If you decide to join the 5 a.m. club, you’ll need to also wake up at 5 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays! If you don’t keep the same sleep schedule every day of the week, it can negatively affect your circadian rhythm. Consistency is the key when it comes to changing your sleep patterns. So, if you don’t feel that you can do 5 a.m. wakeups on the weekend too, perhaps aim for a wakeup time that is less extreme.
Adjust Your Sleep Schedule Slowly
Becoming a morning person will not happen overnight. You can’t significantly change your sleep schedule quickly without feeling like crap the next day. Tweak your sleep schedule slightly each night until you get to your ideal wake-up time. It’s best to shift it in 15-30 minute increments. It may take some time, but this strategy will help your body (and circadian rhythm) adjust to the new schedule. It will help prevent you from feeling tired during the day.
Don’t Hit The Snooze Button
Do you hit the snooze button two, three, or maybe even four times a morning? If you want to wake up earlier, resist the temptation to hit the snooze button. Continually hitting the snooze button can cause sleep inertia — making it that much harder to wake up. So, turn off the option to snooze your alarm.
Create a Structured Bedtime Routine
Have a structured bedtime routine that you follow every night starting about 60 minutes before your bedtime. Here are some activities you can incorporate into your routine. These are just ideas. Do whatever works best for you.
- Drink a cup of herbal tea: A cup of non-caffeinated tea containing chamomile or lavender can help you relax and possibly sleep better.
- Read a relaxing book: A calming book can help you detach from the day’s stresses and focus on the storyline. This can help you relax and fall asleep.
- Give yourself a massage: A neck or face massager works great for this.
- Practice gratitude journaling: Practicing gratitude is a great way to de-stress. To do this, you simply write down things that you are grateful for. It can be something small like a comfortable pillow.
- Listen to an adult bedtime story: Adult bedtime stories are relaxing and help banish worrying thoughts that keep you from sleep.
Get Plenty of Natural Light Early
Exposure to bright light early in the morning can help you wake up. Light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. When melatonin is suppressed, it tells your body that it’s time to wake up.
Avoid using blackout curtains in your room. These will keep the morning sun out. Instead, try to keep your blinds open so the sun shines in your room in the morning. As soon as you wake up, go outside for a short walk or sit outside on the porch while you have your morning cup of coffee. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of sun exposure within two hours of waking up.
Have a Morning Routine That You Look Forward To
Having something to look forward to when you wake up will give you a good reason to get out of bed earlier. You won’t be dreading waking up so early. You can include any number of things in your morning routine:
- A cup of coffee on the porch
- A 20-minute early morning walk
- A breathwork session
- Reading for 20 minutes
- Cooking a nourishing breakfast
Resist the Urge to Reach for Caffeine
You feel sluggish and tired in the afternoon when you first change your sleep schedule. So, you get in line at Starbucks for a little pick-me-up — a shaken espresso. It will help wake you up after all, right? While it might give you a temporary boost in energy, drinking caffeine more than eight hours before bed can mess up your sleep. If you feel sluggish, try going for a walk outdoors instead.
Final Thoughts on Changing Your Sleep Habits
Ultimately, whether or not you achieve your goal of becoming a morning person, the most important thing in terms of wellness is to consistently get enough good-quality sleep.
