Letting in some natural light in the morning can also help prevent oversleeping. When you wake up, reach over to draw your curtains or blinds, to let some sunshine in to help you wake up naturally. If you still find yourself feeling groggy and tired when you wake up, rest assured – it can take a while for your body to get used to the rhythm you’re retraining it for.
Rise and shine with the daylightĪs humans, we are designed to wake up with daylight. We also recommend not consuming any caffeine after midday, as this will make it harder for you to fall asleep naturally (even if you don’t know it). Try to eliminate blue light before bed, put down your smartphone away from the bedroom, and reach for a book instead. The blue light emitted from smartphones stimulates the brain, and suppresses the production of melatonin, the brain’s sleep chemical. Growing research shows that artificial light from technology keeps us awake at night (1) – so we recommend removing smartphone devices from the bedroom. If you’re struggling to disconnect mentally from the stress of the day, y ou may benefit from some breathing exercises or meditation in the evening. Some people like to have an evening bath to relax. If you can establish a bedtime ritual, this will help you to feel sleepy naturally at the same time every evening. Try to prepare your body and mind for sleep as your new bedtime approaches. If you can help your body adjust to this new rhythm, you’re giving yourself a head start. If you can stick to this new bedtime, you will train your circadian rhythm to know when to wake up in the morning (no alarm clock needed!). So after you determine the time you need to wake up, count back from there to find your bedtime. 7 to 8 hours allows approximately five sleep cycles to take place (the optimum amount you need to wake feeling rested and rejuvenated). It is recommended that adults get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night to remain healthy and function at their best. To determine your ideal bedtime, figure out what time you need to be awake, and how many hours of sleep you need, and count back from there. Find your ideal bedtime by counting back from your ideal wake up time Finding a set bedtime and sticking to it is the best way to do it. For this to work, it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough sleep each night. However, if you’re waking up feeling tired every morning, no amount of body clock training will help you wake up. Try to go to sleep at the same time each night, even on weekends and holidays – and slowly, your circadian rhythm will sync to the 24-hour cycle it was designed for. This will also help you wake up naturally at the same time each morning. If you can keep your bedtime regular, you will be able to create a natural rhythm and train your body clock to feel sleepy at the same time every night.