Get Out of Bed
Are you a morning person? I’m not! Mornings are the bane of my existence, having to get out of bed, getting ready for work, facing the day, ugh. It’s not so bad once I’m actually awake but gosh getting there isn’t easy.
Have you ever Googled ‘tips for falling asleep’, or ‘how to get out of bed in the morning’. They’re two sides of the same coin. How can you get up in the morning and expect to feel refreshed if you can’t get to sleep at night?
The problem with the results of those Google searches; they all say the same thing. They tell you to turn off your electronics a couple of hours before you plan to sleep, stay away from the caffeine and cut back on the alcohol. Let’s be honest, that’s not going to happen.
I have to assume I’m not alone in this! I mean, I know morning people exist, and I want to know their secret. I want to be one of those people who can bound out of bed before their alarm goes off energized and ready to take on the day. But, I’m not ready to give up all my vices! So, I’ve come up with some things to help us get the results we want without giving up the things we enjoy.
If being a social worker tought me anything, it tought me how to change behaviour. I’m going to give you some tips that have helped me to get to bed and wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and invigorated.
The key to changing behaviour is to set a goal and make a plan. So for 4 weeks I decided I was going to be a morning person! Some times you have to fake it till your make it, right?
My Plan to Get Out of Bed
No more hitting snooze – I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, for a while I was setting my alarm 40 minutes before I had to actually get out of bed knowing I would hit the snooze button at least 3 times. So, I set my alarm for when I actually needed to be up and got my butt out of bed.
Set a bed time – I set a second alarm to tell me it’s time to go to bed. Having a bed time is very effective for children, it gives them a schedule and sense of predictability. They know when it’s bed time and that’s all there is. It’s easy to get carried away reading a book, watching television, cleaning the kitchen (I can only wish). I have a habit of saying five more minutes for hours. Before I know it, it’s the wee hours of the morning and I know I’ll be struggling the next day. Having a set bed time fixes that problem
Plan for the morning – Whether it’s exercising or preparing a beautiful breakfast, if I have something to do in the morning I’ll get up and do it. But, it’s really hard to get out of bed knowing I have nothing at all to do for the day.
Some Tips to Help You Get into Bed
No naps – Have you ever taken a half hour nap in the afternoon only to be left tossing, turning and wide awake for most of the night? I have. Which is why one of the first things I did to get my sleep habits in check and become a morning person was stop taking after work naps. The first couple days were awful. I’m not going to lie, I was tired. One day I even went to bed 2 hours before my scheduled bedtime. Luckily though things settled down after a few days and I was going to bed at a reasonable hour and waking up feeling refreshed every day.
Hide the clock – Do you ever lie awake in bed looking at the clock and calculating exactly how much sleep you’ll get if you fall asleep at that exact moment. I’ve had more nights like that than I can count. Covering the clock eliminates the temptation to stimulate your brain with the mental math. It also eliminates a light source that can keep you awake at night.
Reserve your bed for sleep – Well, sleep and the other s-word we’re not supposed to talk about. When you use your bed for things like reading or watching movies, you train yourself to think of your bed as a place to relax, but not sleep. Relax on the couch, around the kitchen table, outside on the lawn, anywhere but your bed.
Work out – Sweating a bit or getting some fresh air will leave you feeling better and ready for a good night’s sleep. Just don’t do it too close to bed time, exercise can energize you.
Dim the lights – Bright lights keep you awake. Possibly because artificial lights limit the production of melatonin which helps to regulate the sleep and wake cycle. By dimming the lights a few hours before you plan to go to sleep you’ll make things much easier on yourself.
Stop working – Set work aside in the evening. I promise it will still be there in the morning. By thinking about work before you go to bed, you’re priming yourself for a night of being stressed out and worried about whatever it is you didn’t finish today.
Tips to Help you Get out of Bed in the Morning
Turn on the lights – Exposing yourself to light first thing in the morning will make going back to sleep unpleasant. I’ve heard of some people having lamps on a timer to gradually light up their room. This sounds like a wonderful idea and something I absolutely have to try.
Have a plan – If you know what you’ve got to do for the day you’re more likely to do it. This is especially important if you work from home and don’t have a boss you’re accountable to.
Move your alarm clock to the other side of the room – This will physically make you get out of bed and turn the alarm off. I mean you can go back to the bed after, but you’re already up.
Sleep is obviously a very important part of out life yet it’s so easy to neglect. Getting a good nights sleep is a huge step towards taking care of yourself. I think you’ll notice a positive difference pretty quickly if you start prioritizing sleep as part of your self-care routine.
Looking for more ways to take care of yourself? Great, sign up for my email list (over the right side bar, or toward the bottom of the page if your on mobile) and you’ll receive a monthly self-care calendar with daily self-care activities. alternatively, you can take a look at my Seven Day Self Care Challenge.
As always,
Ranger's Courage by Vella Munn
15 Comments
Lisa
I love the mornings, I find that by giving thanks when immediately when I open my eyes and seeing a new day as whole new set of possibilities while also reflecting on five things I am grateful for, I am excited for the day ahead and can’t wait to get up and at it!
Lexie @ ABudgetingBlonde
Fantastic advice! I was never a morning person until I got into a serious sleep schedule. If I set a time to go to bed and actually stick to it, I’ll wake up feeling ready to go without even the slightest drowsy feeling.
Brittany
Good advice! I like to take naps but it’s true taking them after work or too late in the day is a recipe for disaster.
Sara | mshealthesteem.com
I am 100% not a morning person. And really don’t like waking up to an alarm. So I am right with you. I have an awesome bed time routine that allows me to ease into the morning and a morning routine full of self love and self care that allows me to take my time. It makes a world of difference. I hope these changes do a ton of awesome for you too! <3
Nicole
Terrific advice! I dream of being a morning person, it’s just so hard when my bed is so comfy. I’ll have to try some of your tips and what happens 😊
maddy
Wonderful advice. I have been a morning person since birth. But, that’s exactly the problem. I wake up at 04:30, and regardless of when I sleep, I cannot wake up later than that. 🙁
So, your advice on keeping a schedule of going to bed and reserving the bed only for sleep, will really help me a lot. Thankyou 🙂
juelz
Am one of those people who go to bed at 2.00 am so this post is perfect for me.I think i need to add some workout to my schedule
Cheers
Chana
I’ve been jet lag this past week, so I can’t really say that I’m currently a morning person. In fact, it’s 2am right now because I’ve been sleeping all day LOL. But besides that, I’m only a morning person when there’s something I really want to do, not necessarily when I have to do.
Thanks,
Chana, http://www.weforthree.com
janna
I do all these things and it definitely helps. I stop looking at my phone an hour or so before bed. Definitely no caffeine after 4 pm. I drink a lot of coffee in the morning and switch to tea in the afternoon. also beneficial is setting the Sleeptime reminder on your iPhone and it will go off when it’s time to go to bed to help you remember. I also read before bed and never watch tv in the bedroom. and I rub a little lavender oil under my nose and on my pulse points. figured it can’t hurt!
Susan Peck/Call To Excellence
This is such a great topic, and one I’ve been struggling with for awhile. I have definitely found that when I get to bed on time, it’s much easier to get up in the morning. I think for me the biggest challenge relates to your last tip, about having the next day planned out – I also work from home, and it’s all too easy to be undisciplined about hitting the snooze button, as well as staying up too late, when there’s so much flexibility during the day. I’ll definitely try your idea of making a plan!
Evelyn Lo Foreman
I am a morning person by nature. I love getting up and facing my day – it is like a blank canvas to create. Staying up late is an obvious challenge for me, so I can relate to your disdain about getting up early. There have been times of change that falling asleep was a challenge for me and I find your steps both relatable and practical. Xo Evelyn, PathofPresence
Brian Ferret
The snooze button is perhaps the most serious culprit to the difficulty in getting out of bed. It also reduces the quality of sleep you feel you had when you actually do have to get up.
I don’t have the study with me right now, but those who use the snooze button rate their quality of sleep significantly lower relative to a control group.
tachira wiltshire
My sleep patterns are erratic . Having worked years of a graveyard shift and having a toddler . I am kind of lost as to what is normal anymore .lol I have no difficulty getting out of bed though .That has never been a problem but falling asleep surely is . I need to take some of your tips into consideration and see what works .
Amrita Basu (Misra)
Planning the day and working out both help to get things in order .Sleep is the easiest way to get healthy.
Ifeoluwa Anani
I’ve been having trouble sleeping on time, but this are really great tips