LGR Holistic Wellness

We seem to be programmed to sleep late, but getting up early has many benefits. You never have to worry about being late for work again. You have some time to get things done before everyone else gets up. Maybe this can even be that ever elusive “me” time.

Nevertheless, if you’ve always been a night owl, can you really become an early riser? Absolutely! You can definitely do it! It will take some time and effort, but any routine is hard to break.

It is even more difficult to alter habits that you’ve followed for many years. Fortunately, humans are adaptable creatures. You can always learn new things!

To change your sleep pattern quickly, follow these steps:

To start, determine how much sleep you need to feel your best. For an example, let’s say you need seven hours of sleep to function at your daily optimal level.

In your perfect world, what time would you get up every morning? Perhaps you’d want to get up at 5:00 AM so you can spend time journaling or exercising.

You will need to choose a bedtime. Do the math. In our example, you will need to be asleep by 10:00 PM to get your sleep in by the 5:00 AM alarm.

You’ll have to be resolute and determined if you want to make your new hours a habit. Using our example, you’d want to get to bed by 10 pm, no matter what. If you’re used to going to bed at 11:30 PM or even after midnight, you’ll probably be lying there for some time struggling to go to sleep, at least at first. The early alarm won’t be a welcome sound either.

If you do get up with that early 5:00 AM alarm, you’ll be tired. But that’ll just make going to bed at your new time tonight easier. Remember, breaking habits can be hard but just push through it. You can do this!

It is okay to take naps if you normally do, but do not add naps to your new schedule! Otherwise, you may not be tired when you go to bed at 10:00 PM and that will just set you up for another night of struggle.

Alternatively, you can simply go to bed when you’re tired, but rise at the new wake-up time. At the very least, you’ll avoid lying in bed for hours trying to fall asleep.

The process will be challenging for about a week, but you’ll be a changed person at the end. Even though you’ll feel better after a week, for the first month or so, you may find it easy to backslide.

Early morning has much to offer that the late riser misses. You can see things outside you wouldn’t normally see. Wildlife is more active at dawn. Watching the sunrise can instantly lift your spirits and fill you with a sense of hope and possibility.

A new sleep schedule can be developed with a little commitment. Follow either of the methods presented and you’ll soon be an early riser!