I have always been a natural night owl. Even as an infant, my mom used to say that I wanted to stay up all night and sleep all day. The pull to stay up late and sleep late continued for most of my life and I thought I couldn't help it. It's just the way I was until I finally took control of my sleep schedule, and it was the best decision I ever made.
I started by setting an alarm 30 minutes earlier than usual until my body adjusted to the routine. I then repeated the process in 30 minute increments until I started naturally waking up at the right time every morning, sometimes even before my alarm went off. As a result, I started naturally going to bed earlier as well. It wasn't hard to fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning anymore.
It was great! I felt like I had so much extra time in the day. I usually felt accomplished and productive by noon, and then still had the rest of the day to do more. The best part is that I was less tired during the day. However, I wondered why. I wasn't necessarily getting more hours of sleep, I was actually getting less. I did a quick search to see if I could find any information on why this seemed to be, but I have to say, I didn't really find any answers. I found a lot of articles about the benefits of waking up early but none of them gave a definitive, biological reason why.
For me, it just works. There's just something about seeing the morning sun that puts me in a good mood for the day. Knowing that I have time to slow down and get things done in the morning instead of rushing out the door first thing that just feels good. I realized that, for me, there is nothing better than a slow, quiet morning. I realized that I had been missing out on the most beautiful time of day. I am a night owl turned morning person.
Now, I understand that it's not just that easy all the time. If I have a week where I am staying up late and sleeping later, I have to repeat the 30 minute increment process again to get my schedule back to normal, so don't expect one time magic. Even though it might be hard at first to wake up earlier, it's definitely helped me in my productivity. So I challenge you to give it a try. It just might be the best decision you'll ever make.
"Early to bed and early to rise
makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
- Benjamin Franklin
1 comment:
I hate sleeping in. I feel like I've wasted half of my morning when I even wake up at eight o'clock (I know, one might call that exaggerated.) I actually can't sleep in - even when I go to bed really late, I always wake up at around seven!
Your story is really interesting! I love that you really tried to wake up earlier. So many people don't feel like doing that. :-) Good for you!
~ Naomi
Post a Comment