5 Ways to Make Waking Up Easier

Daylight Savings Time is here! For that one perfect night we got an entire extra hour of sleep—#BlessUp. I hope you enjoyed that little victory for as long as you could because it also means WINTER IS COMING. This is that tragic time of year where it gets darker sooner and infinitely colder, both perfect ingredients for harder wake-up calls. To cure any a.m. woes, we’ve rounded up the best ways to make getting up a little less terrible. NOTE: These suggestions are all scientifically proven by someone who has 8 a.m. classes every day of the week. Take this expert’s advice on how to survive these gloomy winter mornings. Good luck!

 

Set multiple alarms

Because we’re all guilty of hitting snooze one (okay, twelve) times too many. But instead of waking up later, purposely set your alarm 30 minutes and 15 minutes earlier. This method works like a warning system, letting your mind and body know it’s morning time and you have to get ready for adulting. Those magic 15-minute intervals allow your body to feel more refreshed once you do wake up (thank you, science), unlike hitting snooze, which only gives you 9 more minutes and make you wake up feeling like a zombie.

Get up, stand up

Bob Marley was onto something when he wrote this song. After your alarm goes off, force yourself to immediately kick off the covers and stand up. I know it’s cozy under there, but you gotta get moving! A good encouragement is to set those multiple alarms on different devices and place them around the room so you’re forced to get up to turn them all off. Just think of it as your routine a.m. scavenger hunt.

Let there be light

I would say leave your curtains open to let the natural sunlight in (it does wonders for early rising), but winter months are notorious for staying dark until, like, 12 in the afternoon. Instead, put a desk lamp near your bed and turn it on before you shut your alarm off. This forces all that bright LED light to flood your siesta area so you can’t go back to sleep even if you wanted to. Or maybe you’re talented enough to ignore that—good for you, you should apply for the Sleep Olympics (which should totally be a thing).

Drank

Water, obvi. We’re all a little dehydrated after a solid sleep sesh which majorly contributes to all-day fatigue. Leave a bottle of water on your nightstand to sip from as you wake up and you’ll instantly feel a little more refreshed and ready to take on the day. Alternative: swap water for coffee if you’re fancy enough to have a coffee machine with a pre-set brew. This is a little less healthy, but if you have a huge presentation that day and need a caffeinated pick-me-up, go for it. Just not all the time.

Let’s get physical

Don’t worry, you don’t have to wake up and do a 5K. Something simple like jumping jacks will get the job done. Five push-ups, ten high-knees, or all of the above make a less than one-minute “workout” that will get your heart pumping for an immediate wake up. After this, take a cold (yes, I said it) shower to energize those senses and get ready to go.

There’s an app for that

If you don’t feel like taking my advice (sad face) or just know you’re an extra heavy sleeper, here are a few apps you can download from the app store which you might find helpful instead.

  • I Can’t Wake Up! (FREE) – You have to solve math problems, write messages, follow patterns, etc. before your alarm turns off. The question type   changes every day.
  • Wake N’ Shake ($0.99) – No snooze button, you just have to vigorously shake your phone in order to quiet the alarm. Hence, its namesake.
  • Mission Alarm Clock ($2.99) – Follow intricate plots to solve a mission in order to turn your alarm off. Kind of like “I Can’t Wake Up!” times ten.

 

by Amber Cannale