There’s something about waking up early to start your day.

No rushing. No snoozing the alarm clock. No tripping over yourself trying to get to school or work.

I must say, it’s pretty peaceful.

In a way, you can focus more on getting things done without the added time pressure. And I know for a fact that when I wait until my alarm to goes off, it’s much harder to get up. Better to get up naturally with your body’s rhythm.

What to do Before Bed Time

• Sleep early

Well duh— is it easier to get up at 5am if you sleep at 9am or 12am? if you sleep early, it will be easier to get up early seeing as you will get your much needed 7-9 hours of sleep.

• Don’t sleep during the day

Sleeping during the day will only ensure that you are not tired when bed time comes around and throw off your sleep cycle completely. If you are going to sleep, make sure it’s just a short 20 minute nap to reboost during the day, so that you will be out of energy by night time.

• Set a consistent time for sleeping

After a while of sleeping at a set time, your body gets used to it. Around that time, your body will become tired and you should be able to sleep naturally without much trouble.

• Set aside your phone and limit screen use before bed time

Using your phone before sleeping can further energize you so you don’t feel tired. What’s worse is you might be so engrossed with what you are watching and you forget the time all together and sleep waaaay past your bed time. I know I have done this many times!

• Don’t drink caffeine or sugary drinks before sleeping/ Avoid drinking before bed altogether

It’s no surprise that caffeine can get you up in the morning, so what happens when you drink it at night time? It will be hard to fall asleep that’s for dang sure. To a lesser extent, the same goes for sugary drinks. They can give you that buzz right when you just want to fall asleep.

Also, picture this, you’re about to fall asleep… when all of sudden you need to get up to pee. You’re now awake all over again. So best to just avoid drinking before bed altogether.

• Make your to-do-lists at night

Get yout to-do’s out of your mind and into a list. That way you can fall asleep soundly secure in the fact that you’ve written everything that needs to be done the next day on paper. No more losing time scrambling to remember things the next day.

• Put your phone on silent

There’s nothing more distracting to your good night’s sleep than someone calling you at an ungodly hour. Well, if your friends can’t avoid calling you late at night, best to just shut them off and get a good night’s sleep.

• Turn off the light and close the curtains

There was a time in the past when the sun would go down and naturally people will shut down as well and go to sleep because there is nothing much you can do in the dark. Now with modern lighting, we have to actively avoid all these lights. So turn it off, close the curtains, and head to bed for that good night’s rest.

Tips for Waking Up Early— Early Morning Hacks

• Open the curtains to get some natural light in the morning.

Remember when mom used to open those dreaded curtains to let the light through in the morning? Got you up, didn’t it?

• Place your alarm clock accross the room so you will have to stand up to turn it off.

Ah, that dreaded sound so early in the morning. Now, what if you can’t just reach out to turn it off? Having your phone accross the room means that you actually have to stand up to turn it off. Now you’re officially on your feet and awake!

• Turn on the radio as soon as you get up.

Silence can get you to sleep, guess what loud noises can do? Pick your favorite tune and jam early in the morning to get that blood pumping!

• Shower as soon as you get up.

Now, here’s something I detest, showering in the morning… but water down your back sure can be effective in waking one up!

Here are just some of the ways to wake up early in the morning. I’m personally going to try to make this a daily habit.

Now that I’m actually up early and being productive to go with it, I’m going to remember how good this feels compared to getting a few more extra hours of restless sleep.