A Guide to Becoming a Morning Person

4 Ways to Train Your Body to Wake Up Early

It’s true. Being a natural “early bird” is determined by your genetics. But that doesn’t mean your body can’t learn how to feel awake and energized first thing in the morning.

For those of us who aren’t springing out of bed naturally, here are a few ways to train your body to wake up early and become a morning person.

How to Train Yourself to Wake Up Early

1.   Time your alarm to your sleep cycle

Your sleep runs in 90-minute cycles. When you time your alarm (and your bedtime) to wake up near the end of a sleep cycle, you’ll feel more rested when you wake up.

This means setting your alarm for seven and a half hours of sleep rather than an even seven to prevent waking up in the middle of deep sleep. Creating a consistent bedtime and wake-up time is the best way to ensure you get enough sleep each night, but for those with varying schedules using the 90-minute tip to set your morning alarm can make getting up a lot easier.

Waking up near the end of your sleep cycle will keep away that heavy morning grogginess and give you more energy to get out of bed and get started on your day..

2.   Rehydrate

While you sleep, your body is releasing a lot of water – about a liter of each night, in fact.

To fuel your body for the day and provide the energy you need to get out of bed, rehydrate with water first thing. Yes, even before the coffee.

3.   Get some sunlight

Sunlight was the original alarm clock. The sun’s rays stop our body’s production of melatonin and our circadian rhythm responds by taking the hint that it’s time to wake up.

Since the sun isn’t something we can turn on and off like our morning alarms, you can recreate this same effect by using a “happy light” for a few minutes in the morning to inspire the body’s natural awakening process.

4.   Create a fun morning routine

Waking up is easier to do when there’s something to look forward to. Try adding some fun and energizing activities into your morning routine to wake yourself up and start the day in a great mood.

Sing along to music in the shower, add some dance moves as you make your coffee or raise your heart rate with some extra aerobic moves as you get ready for the day. A positive attitude will give you the energy to face whatever the day brings you.

One Morning at a Time…

If you’re not a natural morning person, don’t feel bad. The majority of people aren’t.

When you still need to get up early, use these natural ways to wake up so that you supply your body and your mind with the energy it needs. With a consistent practice and plenty of rest, you can train your body to feel like a morning person and wake-up energized each day.