If you aren’t naturally a morning person, you might struggle if you have to wake up early and get around. Whether you have to work, get your kids around, or get more done in the morning, you might dread it. Luckily, you can learn how to become a morning person and improve your life.
As a morning person, you will wake up in a better mood and be more productive in the early hours. Even if you are late-night, you can implement a few changes to switch that. It is sometimes hard to force yourself out of bed in the morning, but you can learn to love it.
Being a morning person doesn’t only mean you get more done before noon. Studies show that morning people tend to be healthier, positive, and upbeat throughout the day and about life, too. It can also help you maintain your weight and have better health later in life.
Your age doesn’t matter, as becoming a morning person can benefit younger and older people. While it won’t happen overnight, learning to become a morning person can be easy if you implement new habits. You will experience beneficial life changes that can improve every other area of your life, too.
How to Become a Morning Person
Try changing these behaviors to embrace your inner morning person.
1. Change Your Bedtime
Aim to get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night for the best quality and duration. To become a morning person, you must determine when you want to wake up each morning. Then, figure out when you should be asleep to get the seven to eight hours and still be up by your desired time.
You won’t be as tired the next day when you get to bed at an appropriate time and get enough sleep. You will wake up early without an issue and function better than usual right from the start.
Don’t try to change your bedtime drastically all at once, as it can backfire and make you feel worse. Instead, start going to bed 15 to 20 minutes earlier for a few days, then push it back another fifteen minutes for a few more days. Continue pushing your bedtime back in 15-minute increments until you’ve reached your goal bedtime.
2. Make It a Routine
A bedtime routine can help you sleep better and become a morning person. Your routine should start about two hours before bed and shouldn’t include screen time. Consider having chamomile tea, reading a few chapters of a book, or listening to calming music.
You can also sit outside and listen to the night sounds as you watch the stars. Sometimes a bath or shower can help you relax, so adding that to your bedtime routine can prove beneficial. Anything that calms your mind and prepares you for bed can be a part of your experience.
3. Use Lighting to Realign Your Body’s Clock
Exposure to bright light in the morning can help you feel more alert as it shifts your internal rhythm. Your circadian rhythms respond to light and dark, so bright light signals your body that it is time to wake up. If you can, sleep with your window coverings open to allow the natural light to wake you earlier.
Natural light is the best option, but you can try a light therapy lamp instead if natural isn’t possible. These lamps mimic the natural light spectrum, triggering your body and mind similarly.
It is important to note that artificial outdoor lights can also alter your circadian rhythm. Living in a place exposed to light at night could negatively interfere with your sleep quality. You can remedy this problem by eliminating as much artificial light as possible at night.
4. Move Your Alarm Clock
Moving your alarm clock across the room can help you wake up earlier. If it isn’t right next to you, you will have to physically get up to turn it off, making you less likely to push snooze.
When you have to get up and move each day simultaneously, your body will begin to view that time as your wake-up time. Once your body acknowledges the change, you won’t have such an issue avoiding the snooze button.
If you need an added challenge, consider apps that force you to engage in activities to stop the alarm. Some apps require solving puzzles or other brain activities before the beeping stops. You will be awake and ready to start your day when you finish the activity.
5. Be Consistent
As a morning person, you must be consistent with your new habits. While it is okay to stay up late or sleep in occasionally, you can’t overdo it. Staying consistent will help your mind and body know bedtime and when to wake up.
Aim to go to bed and wake up simultaneously each night. When you decide on a new bedtime routine, stick to it each night. The more consistent you are, the better your chance of becoming a morning person.
6. Exercise During Daytime
Exercising during the day can increase your productivity levels and improve your willpower. Plus, you will feel more accomplished and better overall after working out. Studies show you can change your natural sleep cycles and encourage an earlier wake-up time simply by exercising during the day.
7. Plan Something Exciting in The Morning
Create goals for your morning that bring excitement to your life. If you choose tasks, you look forward to first thing in the morning. You’ll be more likely to get up early. Consider doing yoga, meditating, journaling, or working on a project you’re excited about.
If drinking a cup of coffee in silence excites you, ensure you have time to do it. When you know something joyful awaits you, getting out of bed won’t be as hard.
8. Avoid Taking Naps in The Morning or Afternoon
Taking naps isn’t always bad, but they can interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night. If you can’t sleep or the quality is lacking, you will struggle to become the morning person you want. When you need a nap, go for a walk or do something stimulating.
9. Avoid Drinking Too Much Coffee
Caffeine will drastically interfere with your sleep cycle, making it hard to fall asleep at night. Plus, your sleep quality won’t be the best, and you won’t want to wake up early. Caffeine isn’t only found in coffee and soda but also in iced tea, chocolate, and some teas.
10. Avoid Eating Late in The Evening
Eating late interferes with sleep because your body takes a while to digest food. If your body is still digesting, you won’t feel as comfortable, and it can keep you awake. When you eat earlier in the evening, your body can digest before you lay down at night.
Choose a light snack or a small, healthy meal if you get hungry at night. Avoiding late-night eating is best, but being mindful of your choices can help if you have no option. Try eating your largest meals earlier and decreasing your meal sizes as the day progresses.
11. Track Your Progress
Keeping track of your progress when learning to become a morning person can make a huge difference. Recognizing the beneficial changes each day can be hard, but keeping track can help you.
Try writing in a journal each day about how you felt waking up. Write about your energy levels, productivity, and mood as you experience changes. Writing about the changes as they are happening can help you stay motivated and positive anytime you feel down.
Another way to track your progress is to set goals and note your progress. If you see how much progress you make, waking up early, it will give you all the motivation you need.
12. Reward Yourself
Rewarding yourself for implementing new and beneficial habits can help you stick to them. Recognizing small accomplishments makes you more likely to stay motivated to pursue long-term goals. Every time you wake up at your desired time, reward yourself in a way that will make you want to do it again.
You deserve a reward when you do hard things, no matter how small. Choose a reward that you look forward to and can receive each day. If you don’t want to reward yourself each day, consider a prize once a week to motivate yourself.
Final Thoughts on Tips on How to Become a Morning Person
When you become a morning person, you will likely be happier, healthier, and more productive. While it can be hard to change your habits, learning to become a morning person is easier than you think. With a few lifestyle adjustments and a little planning, you can improve your life.
When you become a morning person, you will get much more done during the day, freeing up your evenings. Additionally, waking up earlier will give you more motivation and drive for the rest of your day. Implement these tips about becoming a morning person, and watch how much your life improves.
