To become a morning person, establish a nightly routine, sleep well, and drink water. Establish a schedule and prepare breakfast the night before, setting goals before bed, and keeping two glasses of water by bed. Gradually shift your bedtime and wake-up time to avoid feeling forced and avoiding technology before bed…
How you handle your morning routine is just as important as your genetics in determining your morning personality. If you think becoming a morning person might benefit you, you can gradually move from at night to morning with a few ways. Morning folks are happier, more productive, and better at problem-solving than afternoon people.
What can you do to switch? Try these suggestions and see what works for you. Your morning routine will soon include early risers.
1. Establish a nightly routine.
Going to bed properly is key to becoming a morning person. This isn’t about sleeping early. Making a schedule will make waking up from a drowsy bore interesting and productive. As much as possible, prepare breakfast the night before. If making a veggie omelet, cut and refrigerate the vegetables overnight. Cooking breakfast requires less thought. It will also likely lead to a healthy first meal instead of a granola bar on the way out.
Setting goals before bed is also crucial. Make a list of three daily goals. This can reduce nighttime mind racing about tomorrow’s tasks. Consider setting goals for housework and hobbies like laundry, reading that article you bookmarked a month ago, and buying for birthdays and holidays.
Remember: Merriam-Webster defines routine as “a regular course of procedure,” so don’t change it. Routines teach your body to shut down, making sleep simpler.
2. Sleep well to become a morning person.
According to the CDC, getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night can help you wake up earlier. So make sure your space is great for sleep, exercise daily, find the optimal sleep position, and more to obtain the best sleep each night.
3. Sip water.
Drinking water in the morning boosts alertness. So keep two glasses of water by bed. That way, you can drink one when you’re thirsty at night and one when you wake up.
4. Gently become a morning person.
Do not set your alarm two hours earlier than normal and expect to wake up—you won’t. Gradually shift your bedtime and wake-up time to avoid feeling forced.
Set your nighttime and wake-up alarms 5 minutes earlier each day until you reach your preferred time. Set your alarm 1 minute earlier each day until you reach your goal wake-up time to take it even slowly. Although it takes longer, this is more likely to meet your early bird targets.
5. Put down your phone.
Technology before bed stimulates the brain and releases cortisol. This stress hormone prevents sleep. Technology’s blue light also reduces melatonin production. This makes it harder to fall asleep and less peaceful. Try putting your phone to bed an hour before bed.
Does your phone have an alarm? When your alarm goes off in the morning, don’t check your alerts. When you have your phone, you want to check social media or email. Sitting in bed for an hour looking through your phone defeats the objective of becoming a morning person. Make this morning about you, not the world.
6. Rise with the sun to become a morning person.
Reduced daylight delays your body clock. Sleep with your curtains open and spend lots of time outside to naturally synchronize your internal clock with the sun. If you need blackout curtains to sleep, set a dawn simulator alarm clock to start 30 minutes before your desired wake-up time.
7. Avoid dozing.
Snooze and drifting in and out of sleep likely reset your brain to the start of the sleep cycle. Keeping your alarm clock on the other side of the room requires getting out of bed to switch it off.
Nathan Chai, founder of Five Years to Financial Freedom, observed that he “rarely ever went back into ‘five more minutes’ mode.”
8. Exercise daily to become a morning person.
Working out in the morning can boost your mood, but it may seem unlikely. Also helps build a good workout program.
Instead of going to the gym in the morning, exercise casually. Consider alternate neighborhood walks and low-intensity yoga. Morning workouts enhance metabolism and get you in before the day gets busy.
Conclusion
To become a morning person, establish a nightly routine, sleep well, and drink water. Establish a schedule and prepare breakfast the night before, setting goals before bed, and keeping two glasses of water by bed. Gradually shift your bedtime and wake-up time to avoid feeling forced and avoiding technology before bed. Put your phone down an hour before bed and avoid checking your alerts. Rise with the sun to synchronize your internal clock with the sun, and sleep with curtains open and spend time outside. Avoid dozing and keep your alarm clock on the other side of the room to avoid drifting in and out of sleep. Exercise daily to boost mood and build a good workout program.
In summary, the way to become a morning person involves establishing a nightly routine, getting 7-9 hours of sleep, reducing technology use, rising with the sun, avoiding dozing, and exercising daily. By following these tips, you can become a happier, more productive, and better problem-solving morning person.
