5 Ways to Trick Your Body into Waking Up Early (and Energized)

Let’s face it, not everyone is a morning person. Even when you go to bed at a decent hour, getting out of bed before 8am can seem impossible. But what if we told you that, with a few lifestyle tweaks, you can actually trick your body into waking up early and energized? It’s true! Here are just a few simple lifehacks for becoming an early riser.

Wake Up Earlier, Gradually

When it comes to tricking your body into waking up earlier, slow and steady wins the race. To ease into early rising, set your alarm clock to just one minute ahead of your regular wake-up time. For example, if you’ve been waking up at 6:00am and need to adjust to 5:45am, set the clock to 5:59 am. Continue this pattern for about one month, gradually shaving minutes off until you reach the desired time. As noted in Science Daily, each and every living creature has an internal clock that controls key bodily functions, like sleep. When we travel to a new time zone or make an adjustment to our sleep schedule, it can take days for our internal clock to catch up, leading to fatigue. Knowing that our body clock is incredibly sensitive to changes in circadian rhythm, it’s important to make these shifts incrementally.

Invest in a Light Therapy Alarm Clock

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the human body naturally wakes up with the sun due to the body’s production of melatonin, or the hormone that tells your body when it’s time to sleep. At night, your body begins producing melatonin; when the sun rises, the bright light inhibits melatonin production. When you wake up before sunrise, the body has yet to receive the signal to stop producing melatonin, which can lead to feelings of tiredness. However, using a light therapy alarm clock can be an effective way to wake up feeling energized, even before sunrise. When it’s time to wake up, a light therapy alarm clock will gradually get brighter, mimicking the rising sun. Gradually introducing light into the room can trick your body into shutting off the gland responsible for producing melatonin, making it easier and more pleasant to wake up earlier.

Create an Ideal Sleep Environment

If you want to wake up feeling rested, it is important to create an ideal sleep environment, starting with your mattress. Combining an adjustable base with a pearl-and-gel infused memory foam mattress, the Ananda Sleep System lets you customize your perfect sleep environment for a great night’s rest. In addition, the temperature in the room also plays a role in your quality of sleep. Experts recommend keeping your room between 60- and 67-degrees Fahrenheit for the best rest possible. If your bedroom is colder or warmer than the suggested temperature range, the Ananda mattress’ advanced cooling technology neutralizes varying temperatures as you sleep, so you can wake up feeling refreshed.

Be Mindful of Foods that can Disrupt Sleep

Did you know that your diet can have a big impact on your sleep cycle? In a study conducted by the Sleep Disorders & Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital, researchers found that consuming caffeine even 6 hours before bed has a detrimental effect on sleep. The researchers suggested stopping all caffeine consumption by 2 pm. In addition to caffeine, you should also avoid foods that can trigger heartburn and indigestion such as heavy, rich, fatty or fried foods, spicy dishes, carbonated drinks and citrus fruits. While you don’t need to stop consuming these foods by 2 pm, like you do with caffeine, avoiding them close to bedtime may increase the quality of your rest.

Avoid Blue Light Before Bed

While watching television or reading an e-book right before bedtime may seem like a great way to wind down, the blue light emitted from these devices are harmful to your sleep. Blue light operates in the same way as sunlight does, inhibiting melatonin production in the body, but the effects extend beyond sleep. Even after 8 hours of sleep, exposure to blue light before bed will leave you feeling sleepy in the morning making it challenging to get your day started. If you want to get out of bed feeling energized, avoid television and e-books before bed, or if that’s too difficult, try wearing blue-light filtering glasses when using such devices.

Tricking your body into waking up earlier starts with quality sleep, so it’s important to invest in a sleep system that will help you achieve your early-riser goals. The Ananda Sleep System combines comfort and technology to provide you with a remarkable sleep experience. Learn more about the Ananada Sleep System.