The goal of a good night’s sleep is for us to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. However, for some people, waking up can be a daily battle. We keep trying to open our eyes, shake out of the deep sleep, and force ourselves to recover from a bad sleep. So, how can we wake up in the morning without feeling tired and grumpy?
Good news for you night owls, and anyone else who can’t wake up when the sun comes up, you can definitely learn to love your mornings. With simple changes to your morning routine, you’ll notice how those small changes can boost your mood and energy. If you’re trying to figure out how to wake yourself up in the morning, you’ve come to the right place. Discover your inner ‘morning person’ using six tricks below.
Let the light in
If you’re looking for another way to wake yourself up in the morning, getting some light is probably one of the best ways to feel alert in the mornings. Natural light stimulates the wakefulness center in our brain and creates more alertness to the brain, which helps us get up naturally. The scientific reason behind this is that the morning light stops our body from producing melatonin (the sleep hormone) while increasing the level of serotonin – the hormone that wakes our body up.
That’s why you would want to wake up to sunlight pouring into your room every day. However, if you don’t have natural light pouring into your room, exposing yourself to some sunlight after waking up will also have the same effect! Plus, when you’re exposed to sunlight, the serotonin hormone increases, which can help to boost your mood, make you feel calm and focused.
Stop pressing snooze
Let’s face it, we’ve all been snoozing the alarm multiple times, and to be honest, it never helps you feel less tired. The extra five minutes of sleep isn’t doing any favors, physically and mentally. In fact, not only does that extra 10 or 15 minutes not provide a substantial sleep cycle, but it also leaves you feeling more tired and grumpy. Not a good start to the morning, right?
That’s said, you should stop snoozing your alarm. Instead, set your alarm for the same time every day, and as soon as it goes off, get yourself out of bed, stretch your body, and get ready for the day. When you get up and go to bed at the same time every day, your body is able to keep its internal clock in sync, and you’ll gradually feel easier to wake up on time! If you’re still tempted to hit that snooze button, try putting your alarm further away from your reach so you’ll have to get up and shut it off.
Drink some water
After hours of sleeping, your body doesn’t consume any fluid, which may leave your body feeling dehydrated. That dehydration can often cause you to feel tired or nauseous when waking up in the morning. That’s why you should start your mornings with water by drinking a cup or two, which helps to kick-start your hydration for the day. You might want to consider leaving a bottle of water or a cup of water by your bed as a gentle reminder to drink water as soon as you wake up.
Take a shower
A nice steamy shower in the morning can flush away any signs of snooziness on both your body and your mind. While some people may prefer splashing their faces with cold water as a way to wake themselves up, taking a cold shower can be much more effective. A cold shower forces you to take deeper breaths, decreasing your body’s CO2 levels, which then helps you concentrate better. However, make sure that you’re not spending too much time in the bath; a 2–3-minute shower is enough to wake you up!
Drink caffeine
Morning coffees are indeed an excellent way to wake yourself up. Caffeine blocks adenosine, which is a chemical that makes up want to sleep. That’s why, a cup of coffee can reduce fatigue and sleepiness, which makes you more focused and concentrated. However, if you don’t want to consume coffee as a daily habit, you can consider substituting morning coffees with other caffeinated drinks, such as a cup of black or green tea.
Exercise and be active
Incorporating a stretch or a workout into your morning routine will do wonders for your body, as well as your brain. When it’s bedtime, our muscles rest and ‘sleep’ with us. That’s why it’s important for you to ‘wake’ your muscles up with a few morning activities.
Some gentle yoga stretches, a nice little jog, or a short walk out in nature can make your body feel less stiff while letting the blood pump through the body and rev up your nervous system. Go on YouTube, search for some simple morning yoga moves or short workout sessions, put on some music, and get your body moving!
Conclusion
Whether you’re a morning person or a night owl, the secret to waking up and staying awake is to have a morning routine that best suits your body. This will make sure that you’re able to follow the routine, and gradually your body can wake itself up when the morning arrives. Remember to check out the 6 tips above so that you can better enjoy your mornings.
