Do you wish you were a "morning person"?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told that as clients tried to get on my schedule for pre-work workouts. And I get it. Mornings aren’t for everyone. The truth is we all have some variations in our natural rhythms that are both genetic and adjustable. Yes, definitely adjustable. I’ve seen countless people make the shift, including my own husband, who was, by his mother’s own account, raised by David Letterman. Now, he’s up before me on most days with a spring in his step, a podcast in his ears, and a dog (his “girlfriend”) on his arm. Trust me, if he can do it, you can do it.

A huge piece of this transition, like any goal in life, is mindset. We have to change the narrative that you “can’t” get up in the morning. Of course you can. You’re totally capable. But maybe you don’t want to, and that’s okay. Don’t let any of us self-righteous early risers shame you into our “miracle mornings.” You do you. However, be honest in how your schedule is serving you. I know plenty of people who do their best work in the witching hours. I do not. My productivity is certainly going to be higher if my day starts early. And if I am up late, it’s not for noble causes….it’s for Netflix, let’s be honest.

So again, I want to be clear. You can do all the rituals of the “Miracle Morning” any time of day. You can meditate, affirm, visualize, journal, yes, all the things, anytime of day. Early birds may get the worm, but an owl can take down a whole freaking rat if so inclined.  However, I do believe there’s a domino effect of starting the day with a few positive habits, so here are a few considerations to start altering your routine if you’re feeling the call.

Go to bed. Duh. As I eluded to earlier, I married the rat eating owl. I actually wasn’t sure our marriage would survive our schedules those first couple of years. But like so many other things, he eventually saw it my way. The Hubs will attest to the fact that it really took time to make the adjustment. For him, the biggest change was just going to bed earlier. Remember what your mom used to say? “Nothing good happens after midnight.“ Yeah, she was totally wrong about that. However, there is also a ton of good that can happen before your children get up. Peace. Productivity. Freedom. Silence. All those things that you had before children, you can get them back for 1 hour every day. Let that be your motivation.

Start going to bed 15 minutes earlier every 3-4 days, and likewise, set your alarm 15 minutes earlier in the morning. Keep to that schedule, especially as you’re adjusting, all week long. Yep, that means weekends too.

In order to make that transition a little easier, here are a few sleep hygiene habits that can make all the difference…

Limit light. First off, I’m talking blue light that’s prevalent on TV’s, phones, computers, and  tablet readers. You can use blue-blocking glasses to help or there are ways to tone it down in the settings on most of your devices these days. Also consider any white light in the evening. Use dimmer switches, candlelight, or even try out Himalyan salt lamps to create a warmer glow that’s not so stark to the senses.

Consider Medications. There are a lot of common medications that can cause sleep disturbances – certain antidepressants, prescriptions used to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and ADHD to name a few. Obviously talk to your doc, but just be aware that some medical remedies could be a contributing problem to your shut-eye.

Keep your cool. Cool temperatures make a big difference in better sleep. The experts recommend room temperatures range between 60-67 degrees, claiming anything 75+ is disruptive to sleep.

Create a soothing bedtime ritual. Maybe it’s a bath. Some gentle stretching. A good book. Meditation. Journaling. These are all activities that can help to lower our stress and cortisol levels, which are supposed to fall before bedtime. Not only do these activities relax us, but they keep us away from more stimulating factors like work and social media that aren’t so conducive to good sleep.

Limit caffeine and alcohol. Alcohol and caffeine are definitely  no-no’s. The caffeine is obviously a stimulant that has varying affects on individuals. Some will be fine if they have none after 4pm. Others may have to be done with their cup by noon. Though alcohol will make us feel sleepy, it does disrupt our deep restorative sleep, which is why it makes many of us feel drowsy the day after.

Limit any late night eating/drinking. I go a step further here and will often suggest clients limit any kind of eating and drinking after a certain time. I know that for me it’s best if I stop before 7. That’s the sweet spot where I’ll not need to get up and use the restroom, an obvious interruption to my sleep. Experiment to see what suits you.

Exercise, but not too late. Fatigue yourself, literally. Exercise is awesome for that. Anything outside in the sunshine is particularly good to help establish healthy circadian rhythms. Heavy strength training sessions seem to really help clients sleep as well.

Apps. Of course there’s an app to make waking up easier! Some exist, like the Sleep Cycle app, that will follow your sleep cycle and wake you when you are in a phase of lightest sleep within a window of your choosing. Though I haven’t personally used this app, I have heard positive testimonials, which is why I’m sharing it here. The other positive benefit in using a tool like this is that you may uncover that you do indeed suffer from sleep disturbances, even sleep apnea, that are keeping you from feeling rested in the morning and may warrant additional investigation and treatment. Even a Fitbit can give you some insight as to how well you’re sleeping. You might be surprised to learn how various factors like alcohol use, medications, caffeine, exercise, etc. affect how soundly you sleep on a very objective line graph. On most nights, I personally flat-line about minute two. Because sleeping is my superpower.

The bottom line is that you’ve got to be rested if you’re going to have any amount of success waking up early and not hate your day….or others hate you. So hopefully, I’ve given you some tips to help you do that and become the morning person you’ve always hoped to be.

And if all else fails, get a puppy. 🐶