How to Become a Morning Person
Back in the day, I was a total night owl. I preferred to stay up late and sleep in. I couldn’t imagine going to bed before 11pm and waking up anytime before 7:30 seemed impossible. I always had trouble falling asleep so I’d stay up later and sleep in later. Clearly, it wasn’t a great cycle.
Yet I’ve found that I’m most productive in the morning. If I have something important I need to tackle at work, I like to get there early while my mind is fresh and things are a bit quieter. I try to do my devotions (She Reads Truth is great!) in the morning before life gets in the way and I’m distracted. I also typically write blog posts and edit photos in the morning. It’s just an easier time to get things done!
But of course, to do all this, I had to become a morning person. It wasn’t easy but I think these tips will help! Here are a few tips that will help you become a morning person.
Start the day with light.
When I first started getting up earlier, I would plug a lamp into a timer and set it to turn on when my alarm went off. It’s so much easier to wake up if the light is on, especially in the winter when the sun hasn’t come up yet. For Christmas, Alex actually bought me this light (<<-affiliate link) which gradually gets brighter in the morning so it simulates a sunrise. It’s actually a really nice way to wake up!
Pick a fun reason to get up.
If you’ve never been a morning person, trying to drag yourself out of bed for something you hate isn’t going to work. Before you get ambitious with those 6am workouts, get your body used to a morning routine by waking up and doing something you enjoy. Maybe read a book, surf the web, or just have some quiet time with coffee. Once you’re in the habit of waking up early, it’ll be easier to introduce things like a morning workout.
Keep your wake up time consistent.
It might make me sound like a grandma, but we typically go to bed around 10:30… even on the weekends. Going to bed at a reasonable hour makes it easier to wake up earlier on the weekends. Waking up earlier on the weekends means getting up on the weekdays isn’t a total shock to my system.
Eat an early dinner.
I find that if I eat an early dinner and skip a late night snack, it’s easier for me to fall asleep. If I do have a snack, I try to have something like popcorn or a piece of super dark chocolate. Avoiding sugar late at night definitely helps. If I’m having dessert, I’ll try to have it shortly after dinner.
Skip the afternoon coffee.
It might sound obvious, but I’m totally guilty of a later afternoon cup of coffee, which makes it hard for me to relax when I get home from work. Now, I try to drink decaf tea if I need an afternoon beverage.
This is a great post! I’m a horribly inconsistent sleeper and this topic is like my white whale. Creating a morning routine is a goal I’m currently tackling as part of The Happiness Project. Some days are better than others, haha. Thanks for the tips- that light seems amazing! 🙂
I wake up with the sun. Always. When I had a job where I had to get up before the sun (especially in the winter), it was no fun. I nearly got one of those daylight lights (like you linked to). I have no problem getting up immediately when my alarm clock goes off, but if it’s not daylight outside yet, I tend to feel yucky until the sun comes up. Now that I make my own schedule, I don’t set alarms unless I have to ( usually for travel). I wake up with the sun and it’s wonderful. 🙂
Also, I love the She Reads Truth devos! 🙂
I am definitely a night time person, I prefer to focus on things in the evening and mostly compile my blog posts, edit and schedule my posts, tweets, etc. in the evening for the following day. I do however get up every morning around 6.15 am. I typically meditate first, take my dog for a walk and have my breakfast before I start working. I have to admit that I am slow to start and I usually don’t get wound up until 10 am. So I really am not a big fan of morning meetings. 🙂
I love mornings. I never saw any valid reason to stay up till dawn, then sleep till noon. Mornings are very precious to me. I walk my Boys, Harley & Jax, have a little talk with Jesus along the way and focus on how wonderful the day will be.
I love that! Such a great way to start the day 🙂
I CLAIM to be a nigh owl, but I’m asleep by 10 or 11 each night without fail. I get up at 5:30= for work and earlier on Tues/Thurs to do my 6am bootcamp class – I complain a lot about this. But complaints aside, I actually feel more energized in the morning and it’s just routine now! Routine is key, I think! So much so, my sleep-in time on the weekends is like 8 a.m. if my dog doesn’t whine before that because he’s hungry 😉 Either way, these are great tips for folks looking to get up and at ’em in the a.m.!
Consistency is a must if you want to be a morning person! I usually let myself sleep a little longer on the weekends but not too long – otherwise I’ll never get out of bed on Monday morning!
I’m a total morning person and always have been..I like the idea of that lamp esp for winter.
My kids don’t believe I ever stayed up late and slept until noon. I blame them for turning me into a morning person – first because they got up early, and then when I got up even earlier to find some “me” time.
If you’re a grandma, I’m a dinosaur. haha My bedtime is usually around 9. I love getting up early and, like you, I am much more productive in the morning hours. I love feeling like I have the whole day ahead of me. I need to look into getting a light like that though because you’re so right– it’s easier to get up when it’s light!
Night Owl. The worst! Good advice on picking a fun reason to get up. I have no problems waking up early in the morning if we’re travelling somewhere fun!