Easy-to-follow tips on how to become a morning person in 2021

Being a night owl is tough, especially since most of the world operates on the schedule of an early bird. In the morning, the snooze button’s your best friend, you’re constantly tired, and you spend more time trying to prevent yourself from dozing off than doing actual work.

Then the weekends roll around and it’s finally time for you to repay your sleep debt. But here’s the problem — catching up on your sleep during the weekends is not enough. And shortchanging yourself on sleep can lead to a bunch of negative consequences such as poor attention span, forgetfulness, reduced ability to learn, obesity and the list goes on.

So, if you’re finally ready to become an early riser and join the morning birds on their quest to make the best of their lives, here are some easy-to-follow tips on how you can start. 

Change your sleeping habits

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Sleeping early and becoming a morning person won’t happen overnight.

You can start by shifting your bedtime forward by 15 minutes each week. Minor adjustments like this can encourage lasting changes and prevent you from reverting to your old late-night sleep schedule.

Develop a soothing nighttime routine

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If you’re trying to change the habit of staying up late, it may help to create a calming bedtime routine that’ll send a signal to your brain that it’s time for bed. 

You can try practicing yoga, stretching, meditating, deep breathing, or reading. These activities can form part of a pleasant and relaxing routine that encourages an earlier start to your sleep cycle.

Change your eating habits

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Research have shown that night owls tend to skip breakfast, consume more alcohol, eat fewer vegetables, and have their dinner later than early birds. 

Thus, if you want to fall asleep and wake up earlier, consider tweaking your eating habits to promote better sleep. This can include limiting your caffeine intake, having dinner earlier, and cutting back on high-sodium foods.

Exercise regularly

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Numerous studies have suggested that exercising regularly can help you to shift your sleep cycle earlier and improve your sleep quality.

Exercising releases endorphins that can keep you up. For the best night’s sleep, we recommend working out at least one to two hours before heading to bed, during the morning or in the afternoon. 

Track your mood

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It can be hard to see any progress and the effect of your actions on your daily life when trying to make big, long-term changes. 

Tracking your mood by using a journal or an app provides you with a clear picture of how your sleeping habits are affecting your mood and energy levels.

This information allows you to recognise the successes of your change and the positive effects brought about by these new habits which can then help you stick to your new early-bird sleep schedule for good.

Feature image from: Unsplash