Feeling sluggish trying to pull yourself out of bed? If you’ve had those mornings when you just can’t seem to get rid of the lethargy and feel as if you’ve not slept well the entire night, you are not alone.
The biggest reward for a day of hard work is a good night’s rest, which we expect when we hit the bed. However, some habits such as high sugar intake and over-caffeinating ourselves, which give us the necessary boost of energy during the day, may work against us when trying to get sound sleep at night.
Here are a few suggestions and strategies that will help you supercharge your mornings so are you ready, refreshed and energized to take the new day in your stride.
1. Make a Decision
Making the decision to devote your time and effort to ensure that you have happy and blissful mornings is the first step towards avoiding groggy mornings.
After you stand firm on your decision, your determination to stick to your new habits will be tested by self-control.
You are more than likely to be enthusiastic to follow this approach, but perhaps a week down the line, fatigue and overwhelming thoughts may convince you that you are not biologically suited for the change. It will take time, but keep your will power strong and you will succeed.
Bottom Line:
Make a strong determination that you have got what it takes to wake up to a well rested morning (eventually).
2. Change your Diet
The prerequisite for a rejuvenated feeling in the morning is good quality sleep. Studies have shown that the quality of your sleep is directly interconnected with your diet.
An average working person may consume what might be considered a ‘balanced meal’ that contains large amounts of sugar, salt, caffeine, white flour, artificial ingredients, as well as hormone-laden animal and processed products.
Since the body has been conditioned to eat and crave unhealthy foods, it will take some time to find the right diet for you that consists of whole foods, lean meat, fruits and veggies.
As the first step aim to have light dinners, perhaps voiding any caffeine or alcohol, while including veggies, salads and raw fruits.
Bottom Line:
Make small daily changes to your diet till your body has accustomed to the new diet regime.
3. Hit the bed with the right mindset
The mind plays a vital role just before bedtime which can set the tone for the next day.
Make sure that you go to bed relaxed and feeling positive. If you are angry or agitated over a dispute with a loved one or over the events of the day, try your best to resolve it before going to sleep.
If you are feeling grumpy or are carrying any negative emotion before going to bed, chances are that they will roll over to the next morning. Use visualization to help you relax and rewind.
Bottom Line:
Ensuring that your mind is free of the mundane daily chatter and clutter before you drift off to sleep is highly effective to waking up with positivity the next morning.
4. Prepare your bedroom for sound sleep
Light, sound and temperature are three critical environmental factors that need to be controlled in the bedroom.
Avoid exposure to blue light emitted from tablets, laptops and phones and other technological gadgets that could keep the mind stimulated. Also, don’t leave any lamps on at night and block outside light by using heavy blackout curtains.
Noise is the other sleep thief. If it cannot be completely eliminated try having a fan or another machine that can create white noise.
Your body temperature falls to prepare for sleep. Keeping a cool room temperature (between 60 to 67 degrees) will help in making you fall asleep quickly.
Bottom Line:
For an optimal sleep environment, keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.
5. Exercise in the morning
The importance of regular physical activity is widely known for various health benefits. Apart from that, when you exercise the body releases chemicals called endorphins. This triggers a positive feeling in the body leaving you energetic and active to tackle your day.
Any cardio exercise such as cycling, jogging or even a brisk walk around the block for 25 minutes is a great way to start the day.
Later on, if you are up for it, you could try lifting some weights to tone muscle and have a better body posture.
Research suggests that exercise is directly correlated to better sleep quality, helping you wake up in better spirits the following day.
Bottom Line:
Schedule a sweat session in the morning.
6. Experiment
Once you have mastered the fundamentals of a healthy diet and a regular exercise regime there are a couple of small (but highly beneficial) changes you could make that will help you feel alert as soon as you wake up.
- Follow common sleep hygiene habits before bedtime
- Make changes in routine slowly to not be overwhelmed
- Put your alarm out of reach so you are not able to hit the snooze button
- Smile as soon as you wake up welcoming the new day
- Start with a gratitude prayer
- Stretch in bed with a few deep breaths
- Let the natural light in
- Splash your face with water
- Drink a glass of water
- Make a few fast limb movements to increase heart rate
Bottom Line:
Implement any technique that works for you to increase your physical, mental and emotional energy levels early in the morning.
7. Be consistent with your routine
The human body loves consistency. That applies to both the body as well as your mind.
On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior forms a habit. So, the main idea is to be consistent with your daily diet, exercise and sleep hygiene routine, even on weekends.
Once you have your circadian rhythm synchronized you will naturally tend to fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day.
Initially, you could also try using sleep apps to monitor your sleep pattern.
Have a contingency plan in place. If hunger or thirst tends to disturb your sleep at night, have a light snack or green tea before going to bed.
Always plan something to look forward to in the morning — whether it’s your morning jog, an omelet, a coffee with friends or just reading the newspaper.
Bottom Line:
Make your mornings interesting by incentivizing your wake up to help you stay motivated.
Once you have made the decision, taken the necessary steps, and developed the habit for fresh and alert mornings every day, you’ll never want to go back. This habit once mastered, will serve you for life.
Although there are multiple factors that come into play that could make wake up time difficult, following these suggestions and making adjustments to your routine that meet your lifestyle demands will go a long way in attaining better quality sleep, eventually eliminating grogginess when you wake up in the morning.