The early bird gets the worm. There is a hidden truth to that adage when applied to your daily sleep pattern as well.
A recent article by Inc. magazine showed that CEOs of many successful companies are up by 5 a.m.
Though not every one of us is aspiring to be a CEO, it would be fair to conclude that they are highly efficient and productive people who have significant achievements to their credit due to their structured daily habits and routine.
Here are 4 reasons why you should aim to be a morning person:
1. Higher Energy Levels
A study has found that morning people are more productive as well as more proactive than their evening counterparts.
It was also found that early risers portray more outward confidence and are assertive by using positive language.
Early morning risers primarily leverage the quiet time to define their goals and plan their day accordingly to make the most of it.
Another positive trait associated with early risers is that they master willpower and self-discipline that trickles into all areas of life.
Bottom Line:
Waking up early will increase your efficiency and productivity throughout the day.
2. Better Mental Health
Better mental health is associated with the most desired emotion sought by every individual, i.e. being in a state of happiness.
The research suggests that this feeling of satisfaction and well-being could be due to early sunlight exposure and its effect on mood.
Morning risers typically use their time in one of two things;
- Physical activity, Yoga or meditation which in turn helps in releasing endorphins resulting in feeling better throughout the day.
- Complex thinking such as brainstorming business ideas, writing and planning, resulting in greater accomplishments throughout the day
Bottom Line:
Early risers have distraction-free time that can be used to tap physical and mental energy levels.
3. Physical Health Benefits
Research conducted on 700 people found that individuals who are morning risers are more likely to lose weight and keep it off as compared to their night owl counterparts.
It is also observed that early birds generally tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and are able to keep up with a healthy fitness regime.
In another study on middle-aged Koreans, late risers were more likely to have diabetes and metabolic syndrome that early risers.
Bottom Line:
As an early riser, you are more likely to have a healthy and fit body with a higher metabolic rate and a lower risk of diabetes.
4. Better performance at school and work
An article from Business Insider talks about all the early risers who have shown excellence at work due to their habits developed in effectively using morning hours.
As per the saying “Early to bed and early to rise, keeps a man healthy wealthy and wise” it is also observed that children and young adults have better memory retention when studying for an exam in the morning. Also, good sleep along with waking up early supports adequate brain development in children.
Bottom Line:
Waking up early will enhance efficiency at work as well as performance in school.
Becoming a morning person will not be a feat that you can achieve overnight. If you have irregular sleep habits and like to socialize at night, this could be a challenge at the beginning.
To help you get started on your journey of slowly transitioning into more of a morning person, here a few helpful strategies:
1. Get quality sleep
The biggest challenge in the quest of becoming a morning person is the constant battle between the body and the mind.
Your mind could be strongly determined on becoming a morning person, but the body’s circadian rhythm might disagree with the mind’s decision.
If you find you just can’t sleep early to wake up early, the first step is to at least get quality sleep. If according to your age and daily activity level your body needs 8 hours of sleep, you need to get that first, to ensure that the body and mind are well rested.
Bottom Line:
Ensure that you are getting adequate quantity as well as quality sleep.
2. Start working with your alarm clock
Most people go to bed when they are tired and do not wake up naturally but rather because they have to go to work. This leaves them mostly sleep deprived.
However, once you are regularly getting adequate sleep without feeling sleep deprived in the morning it’s time to slowly start making changes to your alarm clock.
If you currently wake up at 8 a.m. it would be foolish to assume that you will hit your goal of being up at 5 a.m. in a week. Start by adjusting your clock by about 10 minutes every night before going to bed.
Most importantly, do not hit the snooze button or better yet, use a smart alarm to avoid going back into a deep sleep cycle.
Bottom Line:
Don’t make a large wake-up time change, rather work up to it gradually.
3. Wake up strategies
Waking up on time is only half the battle. You still need to work on getting your mind and body on track with your new wake up time.
Firstly, draw open the blackout curtains and let natural light flow in the room. Morning sunlight, when exposed to your face and eyes, increases the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates memory and mood.
Secondly, move your muscles as soon as you wake up. Even just a few push-ups, squats or spot jogging for 10 minutes will help get your blood pumping and aid in increasing oxygen levels to your brain.
Once you have established your routine of sleep and wake times, remember it has not yet crystallized into a habit. Therefore, you need to maintain this new schedule even on weekends for at least a period of two months.
In order to help you avoid sleeping in on weekends have something to look forward to in the morning. Whether it is just enjoying your home brewed coffee while reading the newspaper, meeting up a few friends for breakfast or just meditating to connect with yourself, plan your mornings before going to bed.
Bottom Line:
Maintain your wakeup time by providing an adequate amount of mental and physical stimulation to your body.
As you start adapting to your morning schedule, you will begin to notice that you have more time available to you. More work completed in the morning will also result in more family time or personal time during the day.
During this transition, you’ll be able to test different morning rituals and find the one that works best for you. This process will also help you gauge your strengths and weaknesses which can act as valuable lessons for self-improvement.