Busyness that is too torturous sometimes forces you to wake up very early every day. The habit of getting up early is good; but there are times when you have the opportunity to wake up and don't want to waste it. Unfortunately, your body has created its own rhythm that prevents you from doing so. Luckily, there are a few strategies you can employ to wake up later whenever the opportunity presents itself!
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing for the Night
Step 1. Get rid of distractions
At night, think about distractions that could potentially mess up your afternoon plans; alarm sounds, telephone rings, or uninvited guests are some of them. Apply the strategies below to minimize potential distractions.
- Make sure you turn off the alarm clock or alarm feature on your phone. After that, keep the digital clock out of your sight. There's always a chance you'll wake up accidentally, and staring at the numbers on the digital clock when you wake up will only keep you from re-entering dreamland. In fact, research shows that blue light (known as blue light) from cell phone screens or other electronic devices can disrupt the body's production of melatonin, whereas melatonin is a hormone that signals your brain to sleep.
- Make sure you lock all doors and windows to minimize potential distractions. If necessary, post the words "Sleeping, can't be disturbed" on your bedroom door.
- Turn off or put the phone on silent mode. If you have a landline, try muting the ringer or unplugging it.
Step 2. Turn off the room lights and close your curtains tightly
There's nothing more annoying than waking up with the sun's rays directly on your face, right? The human brain is programmed to be fully awake when it is in a bright room. So, if your room is not completely dark, your body will automatically be compelled to stay awake. Block out the sun as much as you can.
- If you often find it difficult to sleep, try buying effective curtains to block out the light from outside. Usually, this kind of curtain is made of extra thick material that can ward off the morning sun.
- If you can't keep light out of your room, try sleeping with an eye mask on. A good quality eye mask can block light and help you sleep longer.
Step 3. Eat something before bed
Eating healthy, moderate portions before bed can help you sleep better; another advantage, you won't wake up early feeling hungry. But make sure you are careful in choosing food because some types of food will actually make it more difficult for you to sleep.
- Eat foods with a high glycemic index. Complex carbohydrate foods are digested more slowly by the body so that they are able to provide maximum nutritional intake. Jasmine rice or jasmine rice is an option worth trying; other options worth trying are baked potatoes or instant oatmeal.
- Try eating whole cherries or other cherries 30 minutes before bed. Cherries have been shown to increase the production of melatonin (a hormone that helps you sleep well at night) in the body.
- Try drinking a glass of warm milk before bed. Warm milk has been proven to be a powerful “natural sleep remedy”; Studies also show that warm milk can increase serotonin levels in the body and help you sleep better.
- Avoid taking caffeine or energy-boosting supplements before bed. In fact, consuming a cup of coffee in the afternoon will still affect the quality of your sleep for hours afterward. In one study, participants who drank a cup of coffee six hours before bed were shown to lose half their sleep! To prevent unwanted things from happening, avoid coffee, tea, or other caffeinated drinks and foods in the afternoon and evening.
- Avoid high-fat and high-salt foods and drinks (such as fried foods or fast food). These types of foods can cause a burning sensation in the chest (heartburn) and disrupt the quality of your night's sleep. Also avoid acidic foods such as citrus and tomatoes for the same reason.
Step 4. Create the right sleeping environment
There are several things you need to do to make your bedroom more comfortable to sleep in at night.
- Set your room temperature: In fact, most people claim to sleep better in a room that is 18°C. Of course, you don't have to force yourself to sleep at that temperature; most importantly, keep the room temperature cool so you can sleep better at night.
- Use a fan. The sound of a powerful fan makes your body more relaxed. If the gust of wind from the fan makes you uncomfortable, try orienting the fan to a position that doesn't bother you.
- If you live in a noisy environment, try using earplugs to get rid of noises that could potentially disturb your sleep.
Step 5. Try staying up late
This technique is only useful for some people. But if you really want to wake up later the next day, sometimes staying up late can help you make that happen. Especially because usually, getting up late is an automatic reaction of a tired body.
Even if the above technique works for you, don't do it too often or your body will be negatively affected. Several studies have linked the habit of staying up late with the risk of increased blood sugar levels, diabetes, and bad fats
Step 6. Prepare your body for rest
If your day is exhausting and stressful, it's almost impossible to get a good night's sleep. To ensure you can still get quality sleep, keep your body and mind relaxed.
- Turn off the television and other electronic devices. Using electronic devices before bed can affect the production of melatonin in the body. In addition, the light that comes from the screens of electronic devices also sends signals to your brain to stay awake; as a result, you will find it increasingly difficult to sleep at night. If you want to sleep better, make sure you turn off or not use all electronic devices at least two hours before bed.
- Take a warm shower or bath a few hours before bedtime. As soon as your body temperature drops, you will likely fall asleep immediately.
- Make sure you pee before bed so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to do it.
Step 7. Stay relaxed
The most important key to a good night's sleep is a relaxed body and mind. For that, learn to mute the "voices in your mind" and regulate your body to remain relaxed. Surely, you can sleep better and wake up earlier the next day.
- Apply deep breathing techniques to help relax your body. As you breathe, your body takes in more oxygen which can help slow your heart rate and relax your body. Try taking long, slow, deep breaths through your nose and allowing the air to fill your stomach – not your chest cavity –. Hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly through your nose.
- Always keep a small notebook near your bed. If you suddenly think of doing something instead of doing it right away, try writing it down in your notebook and finishing it in the morning. Writing them down helps ease your worries about unfinished tasks or responsibilities.
Part 2 of 3: Wake Up Later
Step 1. Practice self-awareness meditation
Even if the bedroom atmosphere is supportive, sometimes you will still wake up earlier than desired. In that situation, if you don't go back to sleep soon, you will be completely awake and will not be able to sleep again. Self-awareness meditation can help calm your body and mind if you have to wake up at the wrong time. Remember, a relaxed body and mind is the key to a good night's sleep!
- When you start to feel awake (even if you haven't actually woken up), position yourself as comfortable as possible and keep your eyes closed. Calm yourself and think of a way to get back to sleep. Think about how comfortable your bed will be, how relaxed your mind will be, and try to guide your body and mind back to rest.
- If you are dreaming before you wake up, guide your mind to re-enter the dream. Try to remember the last scene in your dream, and use your imagination to think of a possible next scene.
Step 2. Recite a calming mantra
Mantras are short, simple phrases that you can recite over and over while you meditate. The purpose of reciting a mantra is to control your body and mind in a positive direction. A good mantra can even help you get back to sleep because of the fact that reciting a mantra can lower your blood pressure and heart rate thereby helping to relax your body.
- You can recite a mantra as simple as “Sleep. Sleep. Sleep” or “I want to sleep”. A bedtime song, a calming prayer, or self-affirmation can be other powerful alternatives to guide you back into dreamland.
- It would be nice if you are used to reciting mantras before bed so that your body and mind can interpret it as a "signal to sleep".
Step 3. Urinate / defecate as soon as possible
If you have to get up because you need to pee, do it as quickly and quietly as possible so that you can go back to bed afterward and continue to rest.
- Get out of bed and pull your blanket over the pillow. This process helps trap your body heat and keep the mattress warm when you leave. If you don't, chances are that your mattress will be cold when you return and as a result, it will be difficult for you to fall back asleep.
- Don't turn on the lights, open the curtains, or check your phone when you wake up accidentally. If you wear minus glasses but can walk to the bathroom without wearing them, do so. Turning on the light, opening the curtains, checking your phone, or wearing glasses will wake your mind and body in an instant.
Step 4. Get out of bed
If you wake up earlier than you want and can't get back to sleep, don't just roll around in bed. If 15 minutes have passed and you are still not sleeping, get up immediately and make your bed. After that, try doing yoga or listening to relaxing music.
If you start to feel sleepy after doing yoga or listening to music, go back to bed and pull up your blankets and lie down in your favorite sleeping position. In this way, your body will re-associate the bed with sleep, and associate other places in the house with other activities. By returning to "screw" the bedding that has been tidied up, your brain will receive a signal that you are about to start the sleep process again. This method can help you get back to sleep more quickly
Part 3 of 3: Improving Sleep
Step 1. Exercise before bed
Lack of exercise makes it difficult for you to sleep well at night, even wake up later in the morning. Light exercise before bed can relax the muscles of the body and make your body tired. As a result, the quality of your sleep will improve, allowing you to wake up later the next day.
If you're not used to exercising, try doing light activities like walking around the complex for at least 30 minutes per day. In addition to improving the quality of sleep, exercising regularly will also increase your immunity, emotional health, and self-confidence
Step 2. Keep your routine
Instead of always making up for bedtime on the weekends, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is a great way to feel energized.
- Instead of always getting up late on the weekends, try getting into bed 30 minutes/1 hour earlier than usual on weekdays. On weekends, get in the habit of going to bed and getting up at the same time as the previous day. This process is able to "add" extra sleep time without messing up your sleep schedule.
- Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night to be productive and energized the next day; meanwhile, children and adolescents need longer sleep time (about 9-11 hours). The most appropriate sleep time will depend on your body's needs, as well as your level of activity throughout the day.
Step 3. Turn on the light
Your body's circadian rhythm is highly dependent on light intensity; Naturally, your body will wake up when the sun is still shining and fall asleep when the sky is dark. Thus, it can be concluded that light plays an important role in keeping you awake and darkness plays an important role in making you sleepy. Make sure you receive sufficient light exposure in the morning until noon (both at home and at work) so that the balance of your body's circadian rhythm is maintained.
Open the curtains, open the windows wide, and let your house be flooded with light from morning to noon. If you can't get enough light indoors, make sure you take a walk outside to get enough exposure to natural light
Step 4. Deal with the stress you feel
One of the biggest factors that can affect a person's sleep quality is their stress level. Learning techniques to fight or reduce stress can significantly improve the quality of your sleep. As a result, you will always be energized and feel positive so you don't feel the need to get up late.
- Say positive things to yourself. Research shows that having positive behaviors can reduce a person's stress levels. You can start changing your behavior by making it a habit to say positive things – instead of negatives – to yourself throughout the day. Instead of dwelling on your mistakes and failures, try to focus on your strengths. Instead of saying, “I always fail” or “I always screw things up”, try saying, “I can do it” or “I can definitely handle it.”
- Try doing creative activities like painting, exercising, making music, or cooking. Expressing yourself in the creative realm can reduce stress levels and help you find joy in life.
- Learn to relax. There are many things you can do to stay relaxed before bed, such as meditating, practicing yoga, or practicing taici. Choose the activity that makes you most comfortable.
Tips
- Communicate your desire to get up earlier with family or housemates so they don't wake or disturb you.
- Try hugging your favorite doll so you can sleep better.
Warning
- Don't get up too late if you don't want to feel dizzy the next day.
- Don't get used to getting up early. This habit can affect your internal sleep cycle and make you more easily exhausted in the days after.
