Why You Can’t Wake Up in the Morning
One of my new years’ resolutions is to wake up at 7 AM every day. I’ve been moderately successful, and I’ve developed some strategies on how to wake up in the morning.
Here’s what I learned.
The Hardest Part is Getting Up
I can’t stress this enough. It's easy to wake up. Set the alarm the night before and that alarm will wake you up. However, the hardest part is choosing to get out of bed and not hit the snooze button.
A lot of people will say the solution is simple: get up. But, I don’t really think that’s a good answer to how to wake up. Getting up is what a lot of people want, but learning to get out of bed is the difficult part.
So, what are some solutions to this problem? I have a few ideas.
Go to Bed Early
I can’t stress this enough. If you want to get up in the morning, then you need to go to bed early. Getting sleep is necessary for waking up early. I’m not just talking about getting 8 hours, but also quality sleep. Here are some things to help you get quality sleep:
- Turn off your phone an hour before bed
It's not a surprise that screens affect your ability to sleep. Research shows that scrolling on your phone before bed keeps your brain distracted and awake. The blue light from your phone mimics daylight. As a result, melatonin, the chemical that makes you sleepy before bed, is suppressed.
2. Turn off lights an hour before bed
Just like the smartphone, artificial light mimics daytime. Studies show that artificial light directly suppresses melatonin levels. The light also delays your circadian rhythm, the natural clock that tells you when it is morning and when it is night.
3. Read before bedtime
Reading is my go-to activity before I go to bed. Turning off your smartphone is not the final step to the solution. It’s then replacing it with a book. Unlike screens (including e-readers) physical books do not expose your brain to any light. It's easier on the eyes and a good way to settle down.
4. See a doctor
If you’re trying everything to go to bed, and nothing is working, then you might need to see a doctor. There’s no shame in this. I take sleeping pills before bed because it’s difficult for me to sleep.
What to do when the alarm goes off
In James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits,” he says that a good way to wake up is to put your alarm clock as far away from your bed as possible.
That way, in order to turn off your alarm, you need to get out of bed, walk over to your phone, and turn it off. However, I found that it’s super easy to walk right back to bed.
DON’T.
One thing I’ve learned is to go straight to the bathroom and hop into the shower. Turn it on, and take a cold shower. You’ll wake up very quickly.
Everyone needs sleep
Lack of sleep is directly linked to a lot of negative side effects. This can include impaired memory, lack of alertness, and lower quality of life. But there can also be more serious effects, like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart attacks to name a few.
There are celebrities who will say that sleep is not important. Steve Harvey said that “You cannot sleep for 8 hours a day.” He said that rich people don’t sleep.
That’s not a good mindset. You can be both successful and sleep 8 hours a day.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor, everyone needs sleep.”
To prove my point, here is a list of celebrities and successful people who sleep 8 hours a day.
- Jeff Bezos
- Bill Gates
- Halle Berry
- Jennifer Lopez
- Matthew McConaughey
- Arianna Huffington (founder of Huffington Post)
- The Dalai Lama
