If Your New Year's Resolution Is To Wake Up Earlier, Read This
Each year, we write a list of New Year's resolutions that we hope to stick to, but sometimes they evade us or simply prove much harder to manage than intended. Such can be the case for making a New Year's resolution to learn a new language, for example, but others may be easier to grasp. Included among potentially easier resolutions to achieve and maintain is waking up earlier, which is also one of the most common New Year's resolutions. However, Inc. notes that this resolution isn't for everyone, and it may not even be the best resolution to make.
Still, if you're going to make it, you should understand how to make it work for you. According to Eachnight, the many benefits of waking up earlier include improved brain function, experiencing less stress, having peaceful time in the morning before fully starting your day, having time for a morning workout if you'd like, time to eat a decent breakfast, and more. Starting your day on the right foot before rushing to work can change not only your day but also your week, month, and, eventually, your life.
Here are the tips you need to wake up earlier in 2022.
Try to avoid melatonin and naps if you can for the best results
Waking up early has benefits, but actually doing it can be much harder than anticipated. Still, with a few tips, you can establish a new morning routine in no time. According to NPR, consistency in the sleep (and waking) cycle will prove crucial to your success. You can't only wake up early every other day; instead, you have to make a conscious effort to wake up at the same time each day to maintain your willingness to do it.
Moreover, you need to fully understand why you're waking up early to begin with, notes Glamour. If you're not considering the "why" of it all, you'll be less likely to follow through with it. Then, as long as you've created a strict schedule for yourself, you'll likely fulfill it. You also should only go to bed once you're tired. Going to bed too early can make your body induce insomnia in itself, meaning you won't sleep at all. Instead, listen to your body, but still get up when your alarm goes off. Your body will adjust.
Other tips include exposing yourself to light in the morning, which reacts with our brains to wake us up, and not relying too much on naps or melatonin, though NPR notes that they can be employed if necessary. The goal is to establish a new routine, and both naps and melatonin can negatively affect this new routine.
With these tips in mind, go forth and be your best selves!