One thing you can do to motivate yourself to not hit the snooze button is to come up with something you’re looking forward to doing that you can only accomplish if you have enough time. Maybe you can tell yourself that, if you wake up without hitting snooze, you can watch ten minutes of your favorite morning show, that you can read that article you’ve been meaning to read, or that you can take a quick refreshing walk around the block. If you tell yourself that you can only do this thing if you get up right away, then you’ll be much more motivated to do so. Wake up earlier and earlier gradually. Instead of setting your alarm for 1 hour earlier than usual, try waking up 10 minutes earlier each day for a week. [2] X Expert Source Jennifer Butler, MSWLove & Empowerment Coach Expert Interview. 31 July 2020.
Lean proteins, such as turkey bacon, lean ham, or egg whites Veggies such as kale, celery, or spinach Whole grains such as oatmeal or cereal A small yogurt
It goes without saying: avoid energy drinks! Though these sugary treats may help you cram for your calculus exam, they’ll make your heart race and will make it much harder for you to fall asleep.
Take a power nap if you need one. Napping for just 20 or so minutes can help you feel refreshed. Napping for over an hour or more, however, can actually lead you to be more tired and can make it harder for you to fall asleep at night. Exercise in the earlier part of the day. Exercise will help your body release some of its energy and will help you be ready for bed in the evenings. Just don’t exercise after the early evening or your adrenaline will still be pumping and will make it harder for you to go to bed. Spend some time outside. Get some fresh air, be in the sunlight, and don’t spend all day cooped up indoors. Doing this will give you some energy during the day, and will help you be ready for sleep when the time comes. Stay hydrated. Drinking at least 10 8 oz. glasses of water throughout the day will keep your energy up and will help you stay healthy. [4] X Trustworthy Source FamilyDoctor. org Family-focused medical advice site run by the American Academy of Family Doctors Go to source Eat healthy meals throughout the day. Eat at least three balanced meals that give you protein, fruits and veggies, and take the time to have small snacks, such as fruits, nuts, or yogurt throughout your day so your body never feels like it’s running on empty. Find a balance between never feeling super hungry or uncomfortably full, and make healthy eating a part of your daily routine. [5] X Research source
Avoid eating foods that are very spicy, heavy, or creamy, or your body will have a harder time digesting them and it’ll be even harder for you to fall asleep. While staying hydrated throughout your day is important, you should limit the amount of water you drink after 7 pm, or around 3-4 hours before bed. You don’t want to have to keep waking up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.
You can also read in your bed a little bit before bed. Just make sure that the material is relaxing — or escapist — and that it doesn’t cause you stress.
You can play some light, relaxing music, such as jazz or classical music as you get ready for bed. But don’t play any of your favorite pump-up jams, or they will get your mind spinning.
Though some people love to take a warm bath right before bed, you should only do this if you have a few hours remaining before bed. Taking a warm bath actually turns up your body temperature and will keep it up for a little while, which will make it harder to fall asleep.
If you know you have to wake up early and try going to bed three hours earlier that day, it probably won’t work. You’ll have to gradually build to waking up and going to bed earlier so your body gets used to it. Waking up super early after you usually wake up pretty late will be quite painful, so it’s better to ease into it. Some people like to use the weekends to catch up on their sleep. You can definitely get a bit more sleep over the weekend — about an hour or so will be fine — but if you dramatically raise the amount of sleep you get over the weekend, it’ll be harder for you to settle back in to your weekday routine when the time comes.
If you want to really force yourself to get up, you can place a second alarm in a different room. That way, you’ll be forced to get up to turn it off, but you won’t have to worry about not hearing it.
As you struggle to get up, remind yourself about how easy it was to get up when you imagined it, and try to make it happen.
Don’t do anything stressful in the evenings. Avoid fighting with your spouse, answering work emails, or having a stressful phone conversation. If something stressful can wait until the next day, put it off so you don’t go to bed feeling all frazzled. Turn down the temperature. Your body will rest more easily if the temperature is 72 degrees or lower. You can even crack open a window if there’s a breeze outside. [10] X Expert Source Alex Dimitriu, MDSleep Specialist Expert Interview. 16 October 2019. Say goodbye to your beloved kitty. Though owners love sleeping with their cats, this has been proven to make it harder for them to fall sleep.
