Some tips for those who struggle to wake up in the morning


There are many reasons why you might struggle to get out of bed. Some people just seem to be born as “non-morning people”, but even the cheeriest of morning people can struggle to get out of bed on a winter’s morning or after a night of little sleep. If struggling to wake up and get out of bed is a consistent challenge for you, here are a few tips you can follow to get yourself going.

The hardest part: getting out of bed

Most people agree that the hardest part is actually getting out of bed. You have to avoid the temptation to hit the snooze button and just roll over again. A common age-old trick is to place your alarm clock a good distance away from your bed so that you are forced to get out of bed to turn it off. Some professional sleepers can do this but still walk back to bed and fall asleep. For those, there are the following tips:

Some tips for those who struggle to wake up in the morning

Use a smart alarm

Crafty inventors have come up with all sorts of ways to avoid you hitting the snooze button. You can download an app for your smartphone that makes you solve a complex puzzle in order to turn off the alarm. This is sure to get your brain straining so that you are fully awake by the time you are tempted to hit snooze. Other funky ideas include an alarm clock that runs away from you or if you’re a masochist, one that gives you a little shock if you touch the snooze button.

Go to bed earlier

The most common reason for finding it difficult to get up is still being tired in the morning. The average person needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night and if you are waking up exhausted, it means you are not getting all the sleep you need. Start gradually going to bed earlier each night so that you don’t struggle to fall asleep, and see if you reap the benefits in the morning.

Let the light in

Believe it or not, our bodies are programmed to respond to the environment around us. Light is a very important factor in getting our brains to wake up. You can try getting thinner curtains so that the sun rays will wake you or you can make it a habit to hit that light switch as soon as you hear the alarm.

Some tips for those who struggle to wake up in the morning

Down a bottle of cold water

This can be a slightly unpleasant way to wake up but it’s very effective. Place a bottle of ice water next to your bed before you fall asleep and as you wake up, chug the now cold water. It will give your system a good sock that will certainly wake you, but it will also rehydrate you.

Kick-start the mind and body

An interesting wake-up exercise to kick-start the mind and body is to climb out of bed and do jumping jacks while simultaneously listing five reasons why you are getting up that day. The two together are an efficient way to get the mind and body going and start your day right.

Ask a buddy

Teamwork makes the dream work. Arrange with a friend to phone you and make sure you wake up. You can alternate with this friend and make it your duty to phone the next week. Being accountable to someone motivates you to get up whether you are receiving or making the phone call.

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