Wake Up on the Right Side of the Bed

Do you ever feel like your days aren't long enough or wish you had more time to get things done? Why not try waking up earlier? Waking up early is good for your health. It can increase your creativity, alertness and metabolism, as well as decrease stress.

Unfortunately, mornings can be hard. It can be a challenge to find the motivation to get yourself out of bed. So how can you make waking up earlier an easier task? Here are four ways you can become more of a morning person:

1. Create a schedule, and stick to it.

   Creating a sleep schedule is the key to resetting your internal clock and getting the best night's sleep possible. By going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, your body will become more accustomed to the routine. Eventually, you'll feel less tired when you wake up, and you many not even need an alarm clock after a while.

   When should you call it a night? Experts recommend going to bed anytime between 8 p.m. and midnight — whatever time allows you to still get your full eight hours of sleep!

2. Work out before you start your day.

   Working out is an easy way to start your day off on the right foot. By exercising in the morning, you will feel more awake and energized for the rest of the day. In addition, researchers found that people have more willpower at the beginning of the day than they do at the end. You'll feel more motivated and have less excuses to skip your workout.

   Are you still afraid you won't be able to drag yourself to the gym in the morning? Try sleeping in workout clothes.

3. Put your alarm clock on the other side of the room, and stop hitting snooze.

   Getting out of your warm, cozy bed can often be the hardest part of waking up. It's tempting to keep hitting the snooze button for just a few more minutes of comfort. However, those few extra minutes may be doing more harm than good. Hitting the snooze button disrupts your natural sleep cycle and can leave you feeling groggier when you wake up.

   Instead, try placing your alarm clock on the opposite side of the room. This will force you to get out of bed to turn it off. Once you're out of bed, you're less likely to fall back asleep and ready to start your day.

4. Limit screen time at night.

   One way to make falling asleep easier is to limit screen time at night — this includes phones, TVs and computers. Spending too much time on devices that emit blue lights can disrupt your body's circadian daily rhythm, making you want to stay up later. Researchers even found that blue lights can decrease the amount of melatonin a person's body secretes. Without this sleep hormone, you'll have a hard time falling asleep.

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