If you’re a night owl, morning people will tell you that you’re sleeping away the best part of the day. That’s because these supposedly magical morning people accomplish more tasks than they can count before we even get up.
And often, there’s no one around to disturb them. Imagine that! You could knock out that workout and make the breakfast of your dreams with no impatient kids around to ask questions. (Just make sure to save them some yummy leftovers.)
Plus, your health may improve due to a simple shift in your schedule. According to Lifehacker.com, researchers in the UK discovered that those of us who sleep until nine a.m. during the week have a greater tendency of being overweight, stressed and depressed when compared to those who rise two hours earlier. In other words, you just may become calmer and thinner in the process of transforming yourself into an early-morning riser.
So how do you actually transform yourself into a morning lark? Check out these five important tips.
Don’t engage in negative self-talk about your new routine.
According to Entrepreneur, the first step to becoming a morning person is to set your intention the night before. This means making it a point to look at morning positively. After all, we often become what we think.
To do this, only allow yourself to engage in positive self-talk about your new routine. As self-transformed morning person and author Hal Elrod notes, what you think about before you go to bed will affect your ability to get up early the next morning. Sabotaging thoughts focused on just how few hours of shuteye lie between you and dawn will not put you in the frame of mind needed to make the transition.
Instead, set a positive intention about this change to set yourself up for success. Create a statement about why becoming an early morning riser will benefit you. This will shift your thoughts from morning dread to morning enthusiasm.
Know why you want to get up early.
Have a plan as to why you want to get up early. Do you want to slip in a workout before your work day starts so that you can spend more time with your family at night? Do you have a project that you want to complete when the rest of your household is asleep to minimize distractions?
Think about this and write down your goals. Then visualize how you will feel once your tasks are complete. This will remind you why you want to make this change in the first place -- and keep you focused on the end results.
Plus, if your plan is exercise, set your clothes out ahead of time. It’s too easy to crawl back into bed before actually working out in the morning. The sooner you get out of your bedroom and on your way, the greater your chances of success.
Get plenty of sleep.
Make it a point to get an adequate amount of sleep. Former night owl John Zeratsky writes about this concept in Time, saying that it’s essential to think about how much sleep you require in general. This means planning to go to bed at an hour that will allow you to get the amount of shuteye that you need.
Further, he notes that food and drink should be taken into account because they will influence just how well you sleep. For example, alcohol will hinder sleep. And caffeine consumed too late in the day will keep you awake at night. Avoid behaviors like these that will harm your efforts.
Create a sleep-friendly environment. If you can’t sleep, go into another room. In general, experts say that the bedroom should be reserved for sleep and sex. So don’t lie in your bed with insomnia. Take a break, do something else and then come back and try to sleep again later.
Stick to your new routine.
Be consistent in your efforts. According to Lifehacker, it’s important to set your alarm regularly, including on weekends. Doing this will establish a new routine that lasts.
Be realistic in setting your goals. For example, Lifehacker suggests setting the alarm for 7:45 a.m. if your ultimate goal is to arise at seven. Then begin to set your alarm 15 minutes earlier once you’re comfortable, moving toward your goal in increments until you finally meet it. This will make the change less overwhelming.
And take heed when it comes to pressing that cherished snooze button. This simple process can actually affect the REM cycle. So set your alarm for the real time you plan to get up -- and set a second alarm just in case. Put your alarm clock in a place where you can’t press snooze while you’re asleep.
Eat a well-balanced breakfast.
Eat a protein-rich breakfast. According to Real Simple, a quick cup of coffee and perhaps a little gum aren’t going to be what your body needs when you’re making this type of lifestyle change.
“After sleeping all night, our metabolism and blood sugar are at their lowest; we need a healthy breakfast to re-energize us,” Rebecca Scritchfield, R.D., a Washington D.C. based nutrition and exercise expert specializing in weight management tells Real Simple. She says that a good breakfast should include protein, fruit or vegetables, and something that contains whole grain.
Making breakfast can be both easy and fun. For a restaurant-style treat, you could try a veggie omelet with whole-grain toast and a piece of fruit. Or you can make a yummy bowl of oatmeal with berries on top and a side of cottage cheese. Just be sure not to choose oatmeal that is loaded with sugar.