So exactly how do you ditch the snooze button?
Are you disappointed in yourself that you can’t keep your commitment to wake up early? Want to learn techniques that will teach you to wake up early so that you can achieve more during the day?
Many people struggle with this for so long because they use the wrong approach; they try sheer determination and willpower… You need a new approach, to consistently wake up early. A few simple techniques to rewire your brain so that waking up can feel easy.
Wake up naturally with energy!
Most of us spend the largest portion of each day indoors, and as a result do not get the morning bright light we need to reset our body clocks. This combined with getting more than enough artificial light exposure in the evenings is problematic for regulating our wake up time.
It is possible to adjust your body clock to an earlier schedule through repeated exposure to bright light appropriately timed in the morning.
Step 1
Choose a few days when you can be flexible about your wake time (i.e. holidays/weekend)
Step 2
Work out what time you think you wake up naturally (not with an alarm)
Step 3
Start at the time you naturally wake up and each following day get up 20-30 minutes earlier than the day before (you’ll need an alarm for this). Until you reach your required wake-up time
Step 4
On waking go outside to a place where there is bright light, you do not need to look directly at the sun. The higher the intensity of light the more effective this is, so avoid sunglasses and make sure you use outdoor light (the outdoor lux units can be around 100,000. Indoors, the typical average is somewhere between 100 to 2,000 lux units). The more time spent in the bright light the more effective, so aim for a minimum of 30 minutes on each occasion.
Step 5
Got to bed slightly earlier each night.
Step 6
Avoid sleeping-in, even if you go to bed late. This will keep your body clock regulated.
This is just one strategy that may help. Everyone may have individual factors impacting on their sleep. A psychologist with expertise in sleep psychology can help walk you through all the tips and techniques and tailor options to your needs. With the right training, you can definitely do it.
When deciding if this technique is appropriate for you, always ask your doctor about all treatment options that may be appropriate for your concerns.