Sunlight is a message to your body that it's time to wake up, and it's the best natural way to do so. It makes it less likely that we will skip our workout as so often happens when we decide to exercise after work or late in the evening. The groggy person … Going from 6 a.m to 5 a.m. My life has changed because of it. You have probably heard the success stories about people who wake up early. Waking up earlier isn't for everyone, despite the Silicon Valley techies who prescribe "sleep hacking" and subsisting on five hours per night. … After all, if you have to be at work by 7 a.m., that means you have to be out of bed by at least 6 a.m. (unless you live down the block from your job and can get ready super fast). People who wake up early are more in sync with the traditional corporate schedule and tend to have more proactive personalities, which might lead to better grades in school or higher wages on the job. If your body gets into a pattern of, say, wake up, brush teeth, shower, eat breakfast, read, work out, etc. As the day goes on and it starts to get dark most people begin to become a lot more unproductive. Change your mindset. Research has shown that waking up at the same time every day is the best way to get your body to actually, well, wake up at that time. If you're going to exercise, book an early morning workout class you can't cancel without paying a fee for. But one of the great tips for waking up early is to do it on the weekends as well. Many people cite fewer distractions during the early hours: kids or anyone else in your home are probably still asleep, for example, and you’ll probably be receiving fewer texts or emails at that time. The alarm goes off, but we hit snooze and then worry sleep for the next 15 minutes … Even though many assign a portion of their success to waking up early… Several studies have correlated waking up early with success. You’ll feel in control of your life. Take a Shower as Soon as You Get of Your Bed: If you feel it difficult to wake up early … The only times I ever woke up early were when I absolutely had to: for school, work, and appointments. I do wake up very early in the morning since early childhood, and never felt like staying in bed … Whatever it is, make time for it. When on holiday, make a note of the times you fall asleep and wake up naturally. Is it because you feel like you need to get more done during the day? To accomplish a big goal, productivity experts will often suggest getting up early. Power. Don’t listen to vocal thought-leaders or LinkedIn influencers – figure out what works best for you. You might be more alert and have better cognitive ability in the afternoon, for instance. Look up some easy stretches to do outside of your bed, or launch right into an easy, flexible yoga routine. There’s been lots of research about how some people are biologically more likely to feel more alert in the morning, while others are at their best at night. If waking too early is interfering with your sleep and daily performance, don’t ignore the problem. It will make you actually forward to your mornings instead of dreading them, and starts your day off on the right foot. Three alarms, two cups of coffee, and one commute later, I'd still feel groggy and unproductive a few hours into my day. It's more motivational! It takes practice and some self-discipline. Getting up at 5:00 AM just for the heck of it is a lot more difficult than if you are getting up early to plan your day, pay bills, go for a jog, get an early start on work, etc. As we have learnt, both problems have similar reasons; and both of them occur at the end of a certain sleep cycle. Start slowly, by waking just 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. In this article, we have talked about how waking up early increases your success. Yes. Being successful means waking up early – or so we’re constantly told. Schedule your bedtime around your waking up time so you get at least seven hours of shut-eye. What you do the night before affects how you'll wake up in the morning. To comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Capital, please head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. As opposed to being something you have to do, waking up early is more of an opportunity to spoil yourself with an extended morning ritual.. You can tidy up around your room, do some exercises or take a morning shower whatever gets you ready for the day. I hope they inspire you to wake up early too! Celebrities and CEOs do it. There are plenty of benefits: it gets your blood flowing throughout your tired body and also stimulates your mind, and it gives you a little boost of energy. Sweet Dreams, Michael J. Breus, PhD, DABSM. Waking up early definitely sucks but there is no doubt that waking up early is important to your success and productivity. Longer time to spend with the family. And we provided tips for getting into the habit of rising earlier than usual. The large sample size makes the study the biggest of its kind so far, though further research is needed to confirm the results. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is a must if you want to get on a good sleep schedule and train yourself to wake up early. Waking Up is a guide to understanding the mind, for the purpose of living a more balanced and fulfilling life. It makes you more productive.Celebrities and CEOs do it. Famous CEOs and celebrities frequently brag about early rising - but is it really right for everyone? Yes, it sounds obvious, but it's worth repeating: going to sleep earlier at night will help you wake up earlier. Whatever the reason it is, keep it in your mind so that you know you have a purpose for what you're doing. An even worse scenario? “Don’t do it,” Kinman says. In the end, though, it’s all about taking sleep advice from non-experts with a grain of salt. If "rise and shine" in your life is more like "hit snooze and whine," try these ideas for making friends with your alarm clock. The ones that work best for me are #1, #5, #6, and #12: Before you even start waking up early, come up with a great plan about how you’re going to use that extra morning time. Well, to give you some motivation right off the bat, it’s DOES get easier, and you may actually look forward to it. As Cassie Werber noted in Quartz yesterday, the best life hack really is to get enough sleep that you don’t even need an alarm clock. That way, workers can enjoy the benefits of early rising, but avoid burnout. I’ve consistently been waking up between 3:30am and 4:30am for the last 2 years. But despite the deluge of such stories, waking up at an ungodly hour isn’t some sort of magic productivity hack that will solve your time-management problems. Figure out how much sleep you need — seven … Start getting your body into a better sleep pattern by turning off your electronic devices at least one hour before falling asleep. Obviously, you should try to get to sleep a little earlier if you're going to be trying to wake up early. Especially if you don’t normally wake up super early and are trying to hop on some kind of productivity bandwagon. This means getting at least 7 hours of sleep (depending on the individual) and getting to bed early. Celebrities and CEOs do it. Even performing some simple stretching exercises will help you develop an early wake-up mood so that you get relaxed and work all day long. “CEOs are important role models for staff,” Kinman says. 11 Tricks for Waking Up Earlier in the Morning. 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