Ok so many of you know that I’m an early riser. Some wouldn’t believe that I have not always been so energetic in the mornings. But it has been something that I have worked myself into being. I love to sleep. When the sun sets, you better believe I’m ready for bed. But on the flip side of that, as soon as the sun breaks… if not just before, my body is awake, most times without even an alarm. (I really get upset when that happens… why is it that I will wake up to check the time thinking I’m running late only to find out that I have another 15 minutes to sleep.)
Anyway over the years, there are more days than not, where I’m up out of bed without a second thought. If I looked back at what has changed for me… then maybe you can try them for yourself!
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday… yes even on the weekends. This was a big change for me. There are definitely nights where I go to bed later but no matter what I wake up within an hour of my normal time. And the same goes for when I have to get up extra early. Either way I always do my best to get back on my normal sleep schedule. (If I don’t get my sleep, you’ll know it.)
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day. This may not sound like a big deal, but what I’ve noticed is that the days that I don’t get all my water in are the same nights I’m restless. Call it a coincidence but who can honestly say water is bad for you.
- Do a brain dump before you go to bed. This was big for me especially when I had a lot going on and couldn’t stop my mind from going a mile a minute. There have been plenty of nights where I would just write my to-do lists before going to bed. IF I thought of more I would use Siri to set a reminder. Whatever you need to do to get those thoughts out of your head.
- Plan out your next day. Or at least some of it. This falls along the same lines as a brain dump but is more specific to the tasks for the next day.
- When you wake up… just get up. I know it sounds simple, but I believe that there is a reason why you woke up. I also believe we should not waste the day sleeping.
After writing these, I feel like these are common sense, but I think that’s because I have made the shifts to doing them. I know there are still some things I can improve on… like not sleeping with the tv on, or don’t use your electronic devices before going to bed or just waking up. But for now, I feel like I’m doing pretty dang good in the sleep/wake up department of my life. If you have other tips or tricks, I would love your feedback!!!