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From: Metro
Do you wake up to the morning sunlight flooding into your room? The beautiful sound of birdsong?
Or perhaps you are part of the 85% of people waking to the piercing electronic sound coming from their phones?
For most of us, the mornings begin with a fight against our snooze buttons.
The first 20 minutes of my day is spent dozing in between my loud, repetitive phone alarm, which is set to go off every five minutes.
It gives me anxiety each morning, but I have done nothing to change this because I’m worried I will not wake up in time for work without my alarm.
What can we do to wake up naturally without our jarring alarms? Is it even possible?
We asked the experts.
Bring in natural light
Wellness expert Tyler Woodard, from Eden’s Gate, says we need to find more natural and calmer ways to wake up every morning.‘Going to bed the night before and leaving the curtains or blinds open will allow much more natural light into your bedroom come the morning time and allow yourself to slowly wake up according to the sunlight,’ Tyler explains.
‘Obviously, sunlight changes throughout the year, which is something to consider. However, natural light beaming through the window can be a much calmer way to start your day.’
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Steve Adams, CEO at Mattress Online, explains that exposure to natural light will suppress melatonin production, the sleep hormone, helping you to feel more awake.
However, in summer, when it’s light before 5am, this may be less practical. If you have blackout blinds or curtains, you should make sure to open them as soon as you wake up during the summer months.
Otherwise, you could use a sunrise-simulating clock to help you wake up more naturally. They mimic sunrise using artificial light.
Sort out your sleep hygiene and avoid stress
Steve suggests avoiding caffeine after midday and putting away laptops and phones a few hours before going to bed to reduce distractions that may keep you up at night. He also says that people should aim for a cool temperature in their bedrooms.You could also try having warm drinks such as herbal tea and reading before bed to calm your body and mind.
Stick to a routine
Sticking to a routine will be essential if you’re going to get rid of your alarm.‘Having a routine will train your brain to naturally wake up at certain times in the morning,’ says Tyler. ‘The timescale is something you will find will come to you naturally as you discover which times of the day you feel more focused and when you feel more tired.’
To help you figure out your routine, Tyler recommends taking notes of the times you sleep.
‘Keeping notes of your sleep schedule will help you understand your sleep patterns, and therefore you will know how much time your body needs to sleep,’ says Tyler. ‘That will help you calculate the right time to go to sleep in the evening.’
Exercise in the morning
A tip I’m dreading. However, Tyler explains that exercising can help the quality of our sleep. And not only that, but exercising will also help with our mental wellbeing.Training your body clock isn’t going to happen overnight, and it may take weeks or even months until you are finally ready to ditch the alarm.
Until then, set your alarm for the latest time possible every morning, in case your body doesn’t wake up naturally, and avoid the snooze button as much as possible.
See more at Metro
