How To Become An Early Riser

3/24/2008

1.) Eat and Drink Better
Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. This will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep. Stay away from the caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant as you already know that really just jacks up your ability to go to sleep at night. Even a cup early in the day has an effect on your ableness to sleep later in the day. As for the alcohol, Stop drinking at least 4 hours before going to bed. It dehydrates and although it will put you to sleep it will not give you quality sleep. Alcohol inhibits REM which is needed for quality of sleep -- to repair cells.

2.) Set up A Routine; Repetetion
Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed, and wake up, at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning. Set your time. Be realistic. Work towards that goal.

3.) Sleep Only When Tired
There is no need to lay in bed and not be tired. Adjust your daily bed time to whenever you feel tired. Although it's has been said that everyone needs eight hours of sleep, that is not nessacarily true. Each person is different. Take a look at those successful around you, I doubt they get eight hours of sleep each night. Aim for six to seven.

Just Do It!
When the buzzer goes off then get up. "It's unlikely that the extra 10 to 15 minutes will make a dent in your nightly sleep deficit," says Gerard T. Lombardo, M.D., director of the Sleep Disorders Center at New York Methodist Hospital. The longer you stay in bed and try to make trade offs with yourself about staying in the bed the longer you will. Get up, get active and get started. You could get more done in the day and earn a whole eight hour day each week just by waking up an hour or so more each morning.