Four Wakeup Tips for When You’re Not a Morning Person

By Brian Acton

Does it feel like your alarm clock catches you completely off guard every day? If you spend hours each morning chugging coffee and struggling to feel human, you are not a natural morning person. But that doesn’t mean you’re destined to struggle forever. Creating new habits and making minor adjustments may not permanently change your outlook on mornings, but you can at least wake up a little easier. Here are four wakeup tips for when you’re not a morning person.

1. Wait to Drink Your Coffee

For many of us, making a cup of coffee is one of the first activities of the day. Around 85% of the United States population drinks at least one caffeinated beverage each day, with coffee being the most popular beverage of choice. But if you reach for your coffee too early, you might be flooding your body with too much cortisol, which already naturally releases when you wake up. This can leave you feeling stressed and jittery, and setting you up for a crash later. Waiting a few hours to drink your coffee can help you wake up more naturally and give you a boost later in the morning, when you need it more.

2. Get Some Exercise

While it sounds like a nightmare to a non-morning person, waking up early to exercise can actually improve your morning. That’s because exercise can help elevate your mood, wake you up naturally, and relieve stress. It can even improve your memory, concentration, and cognitive functioning. You don’t even need an extended workout - a quick run or in-home exercise routine can suffice, especially when you’re just getting started with an exercise routine. Just make sure your morning workout isn’t shortchanging your sleep. If your trade-off for exercise is a lack of quality sleep, it might not be worth it.

3. Eliminate the Snooze

If you’re habitually tapping the snooze button every morning, you may end up in a mad dash to work every day. You could also be throwing off your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that regulates your sleep. If your snooze button addiction causes you to rise at different times every day, your body can’t effectively regulate your sleep cycle and it will be more difficult to get a quality night’s sleep. If your snooze button is too tempting, it might be time to put your alarm clock or phone out of arm’s reach. You’ll be forced to get out of bed to turn off your alarm, and once you’re out of bed you may as well begin your day.

4. Make a Healthy Breakfast

A healthy breakfast is a great way to start the day. While you may have to wake up a little earlier to cook yourself a healthy meal, you’ll be better prepared to concentrate and perform tasks at work. This rings true whether you work in an office or a construction site. Donuts and fast food breakfasts are delicious, but they won’t give you as many long-term benefits.

Sources https://gizmodo.com/5949809/why-the-snooze-button-is-ruining-your-sleep https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/regular-exercise-releases-brain-chemicals-key-for-memory-concentration-and-mental-sharpness https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/scientists-just-discovered-best-time-of-day-to-drink-your-first-cup-of-coffee.html https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691513007175#! https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/many-benefits-breakfast#1