Do you consider yourself a morning person or an evening person? If waking up early is a sacrifice for you, know that with small habit changes it is possible to make peace with the alarm clock.
When the alarm goes off at 5 am do you jump out of bed or snooze until it's time to be late? For many, waking up early is a way of life, for others, the day would be perfect if it only started after lunch.
According to studies carried out by the University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany, waking up early can bring many benefits to your health, improving quality of life and mood, however, the benefits of a daytime routine go beyond improving health. And we'll talk more about them later!
Is waking up early for everyone?
To understand how easy or difficult it is for a person to wake up early, we need to talk about chronotype, which is nothing more than the natural predisposition of each person to have peaks of energy or tiredness depending on the time of day.
This means that there are biological factors that justify the excitement of some and the drowsiness of others in the morning. Check out the 3 existing chronotype types below:
1 – Morning or daytime
It's the famous gang of roosters! These are people who have peak production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating the sleep cycle, before midnight. This group of people reaches peak productivity in the early hours of the day. At the beginning of the night, they are more sleepy, sleeping from 10 pm to 6 am.
2 – Afternoon or night
Snooze mode, activate! Evening people are the people who find it most difficult to wake up early because the peak of melatonin production can happen until 6 am. This group tends to sleep at dawn and wake up around lunchtime, reaching peak productivity in the early afternoon.
3 – Intermediate
Not too early, not too late! People with this chronotype tend to sleep around midnight and wake up at 8 am, being more flexible in carrying out activities throughout the day, as the peak of productivity occurs between the end of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon.
What are the benefits of waking up early?
Waking up early can be difficult, but it brings benefits such as increased productivity and improved health. In the early hours of the morning, our body is stimulated to produce cortisol, a hormone that regulates our stress levels. This production also contributes to increasing our energy and helps us to carry out planned tasks.
It is important to remember that increased productivity is not just related to working or studying more but to organizing yourself to have time available to do something you want, such as spending more time with your family, doing a physical activity you enjoy, achieving a finish that book that's sitting on the shelf or have more free time to practice self-care.
- Other benefits of waking up early:
- The feeling of well-being;
- Increased physical and mental disposition;
- Improved execution of activities.
7 tips to wake up early in the morning
As we mentioned above, to wake up early and in a good mood, it is essential to have quality sleep at night. To help you in this process, we have listed 10 important tips.
1. Have a sleep routine
Establishing a sleep routine is the first step to quality sleep. Create the habit of getting ready for bed, establishing routines at night, such as not consuming stimulating drinks (caffeine, alcoholic beverages, among others) and avoiding using the bed or bedroom for other activities not related to sleeping (work or study).
In addition, avoiding contact with television, computers and cell phones and maintaining a quieter environment will help prepare for sleep.
2. Set a bedtime
For you to wake up early, you need to keep in mind that your body needs rest. Setting a bedtime is important for you to get restful sleep. We know that it will not always be possible to sleep exactly at the set time, but the closer you get to that time, the better the quality of your sleep.
Another tip for early risers is, if possible, to take a 20 to 30-minute nap after lunch, which is the time when your metabolism slows down and you may feel more drowsy. The nap will invigorate and give you more energy. It is important not to exceed this time so as not to impair night sleep.
3. Avoid eating heavy food before bed
It is best to have dinner at least 2 hours before going to bed. Also, opt for light foods, as the metabolism is slower at night and this may inhibit the onset of sleep.
4. Beat snooze mode
To wake up early you have to overcome one of the biggest obstacles: the snooze mode. The alarm clock needs to be your ally in this situation, so deactivate the five more minutes option.
5. Let the light in
If your goal is to wake up early, open the curtains a little and let the light in. The absence of light causes the body to remain asleep, when we come into contact with light the body awakens.
6. Exercise regularly
The practice of regular physical exercise is directly related to health, this happens because putting the body in motion contributes to the balance of sleep and the regulation of metabolism. Studies indicate practicing physical activity respecting a window of at least 4 hours before bedtime.
7. Capriche for breakfast
It's not enough just to wake up early, you need to have the energy to carry out all activities throughout the day. Therefore, having a reinforced breakfast, rich in vitamins and nutrients is very important for your body.
Change your habits
Now that you know what habits will help you wake up early and be more willing during the day, put them into practice and look for an expert professional whenever necessary!
Add our meal plans to your daily routine. A healthy life with the right nutrients will make a lot of difference in your sleep.