Waking up early in a chilly winter mornings leaving the comforts of the warm bed, can be a real challenge for most of us. The sound of the alarm waking us up can be one of the cruelest sounds heard on such cold mornings during winter and forcing oneself to move out of bed seems like torture. One part of the mind tells to get up or else we will be late for some important work. Another part conspires with the lethargy in our body and is hell bent on slipping inside the comfort of the blanket for some more time. In most cases, the later part wins and we slip back under the blanket. As a result the next stage comes with hurrying and rushing through the morning to somehow make up for the lost time as much as possible. It is an undeniable fact that a few minutes of extended comfort in such a morning is one of the genuine pleasures of life but at times we really need to come out from the clutches of that pleasure.
If we look into the problem we will notice that the issue lies mostly at the physical level. Our bodies are not willing to overcome the inertia and come out of the comfort zone. Since the body is run by the mind, we have to use this same mind to help us out of the problem. In the following paragraphs, I will list down some ways and methods that can be used to get out of bed in a morning during winter. The methods listed will be practical and simple ones, though none of them are absolute. To make this methods work, you have to have a firm resolution in your mind that you need to wake up at a particular time. Once you make sure of that, then you can go ahead and take the other steps. So read on and choose the one or a combination of multiple ones, that suits your need best.
Going to bed early
If you have to wake up early and you still cannot resist enjoying the late night party, you are asking for trouble. You should make it a point to sleep by 10 pm the previous night if you have to wake up early, the next morning. When you sleep late and try to wake up early, your body may not get its full quota of rest. This will make it more difficult for you to drag yourself out of bed in a morning during winter. Once your body is rested, it will feel fresher and energetic in the morning and so you will have less trouble getting out of bed. It is best if you have a life routine that helps to maintain a consistent schedule for sleeping. If not, make sure that you do not sleep late when it is required to wake up early the next morning.
Dinner habits
A heavy and rich dinner can be a deterrent when you have plans to wake up early. It takes the body much more time and energy to digest and assimilate the heavy and rich food and will make you feel more lethargic in the morning. It is best that you consume you diner about three hours before going to bed for the night. This will help the body to digest the food properly and will also improve the quality of your sleep. It is best if you keep your dinner simple and light and keep the required gap between taking it and going to bed. Drinks containing alcohol, caffeine and other energy drinks before bedtime can also negatively impact the waking up process. Caffeine works as a stimulant and will prevent the process of sleep from happening normally, whereas alcohol will make you feel weak in the morning. So if you want to wake up in the morning during winter do not get tempted by that drink you love so much. Best is to keep it down to plain water.
Setting an alarm
We all know how important a role the alarm plays in waking us up. It is also said that harsh sounding alarm which wakes up abruptly from sleep is not the right choice. A more soothing alarm with a gradually increasing volume makes a better choice, as it prepares us in a better way to accept the state of wakefulness. It is also best to keep the alarm out of easy reach so that you have to get your body up and reach out to stop the sound. Pressing the “Snooze” option is also not a good idea as it will tend to plunge the body into those short cycles of sleep and wakefulness that we all have experienced. So avoid that temptation and make sure that you wake up once the alarm sounds.
Set up an activity that encourages you to wake up
Just the idea following the usual boring routine after moving out of the comfort of bed is strong enough to make us want some more sleep, especially in a morning during winter. So you can plan any short interesting activity that you can engage yourself into after moving out of bed. This can be something you love to do like reading the newspaper, or something you love to drink, like a cup of coffee. If you take your fitness seriously, you can plan to do some simple free hand exercises or yoga once you wake up. This will help in clearing the lethargy from your body and freshen up your mind. In short, plan an activity you look forward to do once you wake up.This will not only help you to wake up but will also result in a good, energetic start of the day.
Set up a proper environment
Our sleep cycles and the internal clock of our body are influenced by light, especially sunlight. So when you sleep, you can make sure that some morning light will come into your bedroom as soon as there is light. This will help your body clock to steer you into a state of wakefullness. In the same way, make sure that when you sleep at night you go to bed in a properly darkened room. The environment of the bedroom should also be properly maintained to get an improved sleep quality. Avoiding bright colors and if possible, making sure that the air in the room is fresh, can be really helpful to get a good night’s sleep and wake up early in the next morning. This will help you to fall asleep more easily. It is also advisable to avoid any media content or a bright screen immediately before going to bed. Before sleeping, you can read a book or listen to some light music. Once you are in bed, try to maintain a silent environment.This will result in a better sleep quality and help you wake up refreshed, even early in the morning.
Once you are up, stay up
So you have overcome the call of the bed and dragged your feet out of it, but the work is not over. To feel fresh and start the day without a sleep hangover is also important. There are some simple ways to let your body know that sleep time is over. One of such ways is to rub your hands together for a few times and place them over you face right after you are up. The next step is to splash some water over your face which will remove the traces of sleep from your mind. If you can take a bath after waking up, it is even better. Then fix up a tasty hearty breakfast and you will be ready for the day.
Join the early birds
Joining a group where all members wake up early in the morning to get engaged in some kind of physical or cultural activity can be a very good way to wake up early during the cold winter days. This type of engagements usually involve waking up each other right in the time, which is a sure shot way to not to miss the morning. Being in such a group will not only make it easier for you to wake up early but you will also not feel that you are the only one suffering due to waking up early when staying under the quilt is really pleasing. So, join a group of morning walkers, a laughing club or something like that to make it out of bed easily even during cold winter mornings.
This is so informative and aptly timed.