So you want to become a morning person? I’ve always characterized people that wake up at 5 a.m. as people that have their sh*t together.
I always knew that I wanted to be one of those people, but I quickly realized that it was easier said than done. Like most people, when that first alarm goes off in the morning, I hit snooze faster than you can say “early bird”. I mean, why leave your warm, comfy bed if you don’t have to?
Here are a few tips that I have to help you become one of those “5 a.m. people”.
Set goals for the next morning
Each evening before bed, figure out what you want to accomplish the next morning. You can write it down or just make a mental note of it. Doing this gives your morning a purpose and therefore, a reason to get out of bed. Whether it’s getting a workout in, reading a book, studying, or catching up on work. Make sure you have attainable goals for every morning that you want to wake up at 5 a.m.
Have a “treat” that you look forward to each morning
But first, coffee. Or tea. Or homemade breakfast. Whatever it is, make sure that it’s something good enough to look forward to.
For me, it fluctuates between cold brew coffee with vanilla sweet cream creamer or a warm breakfast sandwich. Make sure that it’s ready to go the night before, or super easy to prep in the A.M. Giving yourself this “treat” every morning that you wake up on time will give you a reason to skip the snooze button.
Set a glass of water on the other side of the room, and don’t allow yourself to turn your alarm off until you’ve started drinking it
I find that drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning helps wake me up and get me out of that groggy “need to go back to bed” mindset. And setting it on the other side of the room will force you to get up and get moving, even if it is just to the other side of the room.
Lay your clothes out the night before
You want to make your morning as smooth as possible by setting yourself up for success the night before.
By choosing your outfit and laying it out the night before, you’re more likely to choose an outfit that looks decent rather than just throwing on the first thing you see while you’re still groggy in the morning. Plus, the less time you spend getting ready in the morning, the more time you will have to smash your goals!
This one is obvious, but go to bed earlier
If you’re trying to wake up at 5 a.m., you’ll need to be lights out by 9:30 p.m. at the latest. You shouldn’t deprive yourself of sleep on a regular basis in order to rise earlier. Eventually, this will take a toll on your productivity as we are far less productive in a fatigued, sleep-deprived state. Aim to get your 7-8 hours of rest each night so that you can achieve maximum productivity each day.
Don’t sleep in on the weekends
You’ve worked hard to reset your clock and wake up at 5 a.m. during the week, so why would you want to screw up your clock on the weekend and have to start all over again on Monday?
It makes so much more sense to keep your schedule consistent throughout the week & into the weekend. That way you don’t find yourself sleeping in until 10 a.m. on Sunday & having to go to bed by 9 p.m. to start your Monday off at 5 a.m. That would only be 11 waking hours on Sunday, so you likely wouldn’t be tired by then & would have trouble falling asleep.
Personally, I love waking up early on the weekends. It allows me so much free time to go to the gym when no one is there or get some writing done before weekend activities begin.
And if you have a late night and must sleep in, try to limit it to 1-2 hours past your regular wake time so it’s easier to get back on track the next morning.
Start winding down & turn off screens at least 1 hour before bed
You’ve probably heard a million times that harsh, blue light from screens before bed is a no-no. And it’s true, the earlier you can turn off the screens before bed, the better. Blue light can suppress the secretion of melatonin, which can contribute to some sleepless nights. I make it a goal to not look at any screens for at least 1 hour before bed. You can use this time to brush your teeth and get ready for bed, read a book, or write your to-do lists for the next day.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side
Skip the alcohol
Some people think that alcohol helps them sleep, and it might seem this way as alcohol is a sedative which will usually cause you to fall asleep faster. However, alcohol has been linked to poor sleep quality and duration. Every individual body will react differently to alcohol. For me, I notice that every time I have a glass or two of wine before bed, I find myself waking up in middle of the night & struggling to fall back to sleep. The best way to prevent these restless nights is to skip the alcohol entirely, or limit it to only weekends when you don’t need to be at 100% during the day.
Cut off caffeine intake early
If you struggle to fall asleep or think the quality of your sleep is suffering, consider cutting off caffeine intake early in the afternoon. The half-life for caffeine is typically 4-6 hours, meaning if you consume 100mg of caffeine at 3pm, 50mg could still be waiting to be metabolized at 9pm. Because of this, I recommend having your last coffee/tea/energy drink of the day no later than 1pm to maximize sleep quality and duration.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/caffeine-and-sleep
When all else fails, motivate yourself by thinking about how you’ll benefit from an early morning
You’ll have more time to do things for yourself while you’re actually alert and not exhausted from your long day of 9-5 or taking care of the kids. You’ll have true quiet time before the rest of the house wakes and the emails start flooding in. You’ll sleep better because you have a routine and are dedicated to improving your sleep. You’ll have time to start new, healthy habits. You’ll feel more accomplished. Whatever it is that motivates you, keep that in the back of your mind when 5 a.m. rolls around and all you want to do is hit snooze. Remind yourself why waking up at 5 a.m. is worth it for you.
