Oct 2 2009

17 Tips To Wake Up Early

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Whether you are a consistent morning person, or a person who would normally wake up at a later time but are trying to train yourself to get going earlier in the day, there are certain tried and true tips that will get you moving in the morning. Here are 17 tips that will help you become the morning person you truly want to be!

1. Make sure that you have a really good reason to wake up early. This is the most important thing when it comes to rising at an early hour. If there is no motivating factor, you would probably just stay in bed. Make sure your reason is a good one. It helps to make a list.

2. Get stuff done in the AM. Make sure that you give yourself specific tasks to accomplish. If you don’t accomplish your tasks, you will be less likely to get up early next time. Make sure that you use your time effectively.

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3. Make sure that you catch enough ZZZ’s the night before. If you are tired during the day, then getting up early may be causing more problems than it is fixing. Make sure that you get a full night’s rest. Go to sleep earlier, so then you can wake up early and feel rested!

4. Calculate how much sleep you will need. Make sure that you give yourself enough time to begin to get ready for bed so that you can wind down properly and still get enough sleep. Everyone needs a different amount of sleep, find what works for you!

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5. Sleep Better. Many people need to sleep “better,” not just longer. Make sure that you have a high quality pillow and a relaxing environment.

6. Don’t hit snooze! Make sure that you put your clock far enough away so you have to get up. Don’t listen to the voice in your head that tells you to sleep in! Get up when you plan on to.

7. Get straight out of bed! When that alarm sounds, get a move on! The longer you stay in bed, the more likely it is that you will sleep in.

8. Use an alarm clock. Make your alarm loud, annoying and hard to turn off!

9. Get yourself on a good routine. Get your morning routine down pat. Make sure that you stick to early rising, even on the weekends.

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10. Reward yourself. Give yourself a small incentive in the morning. Some time to relax or have a cup of coffee and have a quiet moment is always a good place to start.

11. Know what you lose by sleeping late. Make sure you understand why you are waking up early and what will happen negatively (less personal time, staying late at the office) if you sleep in.

12. Don’t allow yourself to sleep in. Schedule important things early in the morning so you have to be up and at ‘em.

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13. Have an early wake up buddy. Develop a friend support system. If all of you vow to wake up early, you can help each other stick to the goal.

14. Create a reward for achieving this goal. A reward creates confidence and motivation.

15. Keep records. Mark down how many times you choose to sleep in to help you realize that it’s not “just this one time”.

16. Applaud yourself for everything you got done. You deserve it!

17. Try to avoid the stimulants that affect your sleep schedule, namely caffeine and alcohol, which completely destroys your sleep and quality of your sleep, which actually touches on your waking time.