When you're burrito-ed in your blankets and your head found it's way into the softest spot of your pillow, getting out of bed and starting the day seems borderline crazy. Why would you ever want to do that? And so you hit the snooze button, promising yourself just five more minutes that quickly turn into 30. Oi. Not good.
Though you know hitting that snooze doesn't do anything other than begin your day on a frazzled note (no time for a shower or piecing together an outfit that remotely makes sense!) it's hard to convince yourself to do otherwise when you're so cozy and sleepy. Quite honestly, the habit seems almost near impossible to break.
But it's not. You just need strategies that take the decision making out of your hands and that physically get you out of bed. You have to break free of that blanket nirvana, because once you do you'll be hard pressed to convince yourself to get back in. Responsibilities, time tables, and bus schedules will immediately descend upon you — things that couldn't reach you while you were hiding underneath your duvet fortress — and they'll get you moving. Below are seven tips on how to stop yourself hitting the snooze button.
1. Wake Up At The Same Time Every Day
Are you one of those people that bounce around with alarm times? Maybe one day you wake up at eight, and the next you have some work to finish so you wake up at six, and then it's the weekend so you wake up at nine.
Well, that right there could be the root of your problems. Your body likes a good routine, and if you get it trained to expect the same bedtime and rise-time, it'll start naturally waking up before your alarm blares. Professor Kevin Morgan, sleep researcher at Loughborough University, explained to Telegraph, "If your sleep is vulnerable you would be much better advised to set your body clock to the same time every morning by always getting up at the same time. This tells your biological system when it needs to start and it works better than always going to bed at the same time in the evening.” But keep in mind, that includes weekends, too!
2. Get Excited About Getting Up: Set The Coffee Pot To Start Before Your Alarm
Who wouldn't want to throw off the covers for a hot cup of coffee in their favorite mug? At the very least, it's an incentive to get moving, and the traditionally-morning smell will get you thinking about how you have stuff you need to get started on. Which will make you feel a little guiltier about sleeping in, which is a lot different from your groggy, blurry-eyed slap at the alarm.
Michael Decker, Ph.D., sleep specialist, told Huffington Post, "If we have an arousing aroma that fills our space, our brain will activate and may help wake us up. I always thought it was convenient, but [now I know] I'll start smelling the coffee and waking up before I even hear the alarm." So get to time-setting.
3. Try Jimmying The Times Your Alarm Rings
If you're a chronic snooze button slapper, maybe the difference between cursing the day and waking up refreshed is a few minutes. Sarah Klein, the senior editor of Health & Fitness at the Huffington Post pointed out, "Sometimes the difference between a disruptive alarm and one that's only mildly annoying is mere minutes." Try playing with your alarm and adjusting its ring by a couple of minutes. Instead of waking up at 7:00, try waking up at 7:05 - that extra time could be just what you needed to finish off your REM cycle and not wake up vehemently wishing Saturday was so far away.
4. Put Your Alarm Across The Room
If you really can't force yourself to get up on time, it's time to incorporate some tactics into your morning routine. Instead of having your alarm conveniently on your night stand, put it across the room so you'll be forced to literally get out of bed to turn it off. If you don't do that then the alternative is hearing it blare for a solid minute, which will wake you up, anyway. Lifestyle writer Sophia Breene at wellness site The Greatist agreed, "If keeping those paws off the alarm clock is just too difficult, try placing the alarm clock across the room. It’s much easier to resist the siren song of the snooze button if it’s not right next to the bed!" So put it on your vanity or your desk and see if that helps.
5. Put Obstacles In Front Of Your Alarm Clock
Or similarly, put obstacles in front of your alarm clock so you have to physically move things in order to get to it and turn it off. Since you'll have to rustle yourself up from the comfy nooks of your bed, you'll already be half up by the time you turn the thing off. Dr. Jeff Brown, cognitive-behavioral psychology professor at Harvard Medical School, recommended, "If it helps to wake up, turn a milk crate upside down on top of the clock, then place books on top of the crate so you have to do some moving and lifting to get to the clock in order to turn it off." If you don't have a crate handy, you can always make a barrier with books or something of the like.
6. Sit Up
No, I didn't just tell you to do crunchies to the pump-up song of your alarm. Rather, make it a habit to sit up in bed the second you feel yourself toying with the idea of an extra snooze. Just prop yourself against the headboard, run your fingers through your hair and let loose a giant yawn. There, you've done it. You're up.
According to lifestyle site, The Surge, "It will take a minute to really get with it after waking, and you can adapt a little more slowly by just propping yourself up in bed and looking around, and letting your eyes adjust." It's as easy as that.
7. Have A Glass Of Water Waiting For You By Your Alarm
Here's a new habit to develop: The moment you turn off your alarm, grab your glass of water and down the whole thing. The shock of liquid will be like the equivalent of splashing cold water on your face. It'll wipe away those dregs of grogginess, and you won't even think about that snooze button. The Surge offered, "Sure, it’s not always possible to have something cold waiting for you on your nightstand, but taking a sip (or bite) of something really cold gets your body moving far faster than you would if you try to buy yourself 10 more minutes." And bonus points: It'll start your day all hydrated.
So are you ready to never oversleep again? Try out these tips and watch yourself become a morning person!
Images: @lichipan/Instagram
