Discover why you are not a morning person, how to sleep and awaken earlier in order to become one, and how to enjoy your mornings.

There is nothing wrong with being a night owl, but it can be inconvenient; mostly because it doesn’t fit in with societal norms.

My Story of Difficult Mornings and Sleepless Nights

I’d noticed a progressively worsening morning grogginess since my early teens. By the time I started my first job at 17, getting out of bed was a constant struggle, and I’d invariably arrive at the office unwashed and unshaven.

I knew the solution was to go to bed earlier, but I was never tired in the evening. In fact, this was when I came alive, regardless of how little I’d slept the previous night. Frustrated, I would lie awake until the early hours.

To make up for lost sleep, I’d stay in bed throughout most of the weekend, which resulted in lying sleepless all-night Sunday and arriving at work in a state of exhaustion on Monday.

This obviously led to oversleeping, and at some point, in spite of career plans, I had to quit office work. Instead, I opted for the late shift in gas stations, call centers, and the hospitality industry. Later, as a freelancer, I could choose my hours. So I worked through the night, always energized, and always at my most creative.

Then came a very lucrative job offer in the finance sector; but it would mean an 8 a.m. start. Would I have to turn it down just because of my sleeping habits?

I had to become a morning person.

Chronotypes: Larks and Owls

Genetics determines our chronotype.

This refers to our natural predisposition to wake early or late, which we call the “body clock,” “internal clock,” or “circadian rhythm.” Larks rise early and are at their most productive in the morning. Owls sleep later, remaining active long after dark.

According to experts, this stems from earlier times when owls would guard the village by night while larks, who worked by day, rested. This could explain why more men on average tend to be evening chronotypes. By the same token, more women on average are larks, probably due to biological factors.

But statistics suggest that most people fall somewhere between the two chronotypes, and have little difficulty adjusting to varying schedules.

Despite this flexibility, morning chronotypes are more highly regarded. They are considered industrious, self-disciplined, reliable, and attentive. They never oversleep, and never appear tired during what society deems “respectable hours.”

Owls, on the other hand, are considered lazy, self-indulgent, unreliable, and inattentive due to oversleeping and general fatigue. And adapting their lifestyle according to chronotype, as I did, does not improve matters. They are then regarded with suspicion for “keeping odd hours” and “turning night into day.”

Can You Change Your Chronotype?

With some effort, I’ve been a lark for the past five years. But give me a few weeks vacation, and I’ll soon slide back into my old, nocturnal ways.

So, from experience, I don’t believe our inherent chronotype can be changed. All we can do is stop it ruling our lives.

But it does in time change of its own accord. It shifts with age as a result of hormonal fluctuations, causing the circadian rhythm to return to more or less its prepubescent state by age 60.

How I Changed My Sleep Schedule

Experts recommend going to bed 15 minutes earlier each week until your schedule is as you want it. Painless as this may be, I was too short of time.

I began making the change three days before starting my new job.

On day one, I forced myself out of bed at 6 a.m. and struggled through the day in a state of exhaustion, resisting the temptation to take a nap. As usual, I was wide awake by evening, but went to bed at 11 p.m. nevertheless. I slept badly and rose just as I was drifting off at 6 a.m. My sleep improved on the second night, and on the third, I turned in at 10 p.m.

The next step was to sustain my new sleep schedule and learn to enjoy the mornings like a true lark.

Tips for Sustaining Your New Sleep Schedule

Sleeping and rising early will at first be a struggle. Owls do not feel good in the morning, even if they’ve slept well; at least, not at the beginning.

But with time, you will get used to it and even come to like it, as I have. You just have to stick at it long enough to reach that point.

Here are some general tips I’ve gathered for sustaining a lark schedule. They mostly advise on getting us into bed, and eliminating or working around anything that is keeping us awake. I’ll mark those I’ve tried and tested with a tick and, where necessary, a side note. You, however, should try whatever you think may work for you.

1. Keep to an Established Bedtime Routine

A bedtime routine conditions the mind and body to go to sleep following a sequence of signals. Most important is that you go to bed at more or less the same time every night. ✔

Whenever possible, take a warm bath or shower a couple of hours before turning in, and spend the rest of the evening relaxing in your nightwear. ✔ Because I shower in the morning, I prefer to have a quick wash in the evening.

Before going to bed, turn off the lights, the TV, and other electronic devices in a ritualistic manner. To put your mind at ease, check that you’ve set the alarm clock properly. ✔

It’s said that the bedroom should be associated only with sleep and intimacy, but final winding down exercises can be performed in bed. These can include reading, meditating, listening to meditative music, or jotting down the day’s events in a journal—more on that later. ✔ I sometimes like to read before lying down.

Source: Pixabay

2. Make Sure Your Sleep Area Is Comfortable

A restful environment is paramount to sleeping well.

Keep Your Bedroom Neat and Tidy

You’ll find you can relax far better in a clean and tidy room. And what could be more welcoming than a neatly turned down bed? Do this a while before you plan to get into it. ✔

Mattress, Pillow, and Room Temperature

If you toss and turn, your mattress and/or pillow may be to blame. If either is flat and worn out, you’ll have difficulty getting comfortable. ✔ I have an ergonomic pillow: the “Rosenkärm” model by Ikea.

Or is your room too warm or too cool? Ideally, it should be 18–21°C (65–70°F) and well ventilated. Immoderate temperatures and stale air will keep you awake. During hot weather, take a cool (but not cold) shower before bed and keep an electric fan on your nightstand. ✔

Lighting

Wherever possible, stay away from fluorescent strips and energy-saving LED bulbs directly before bed. Like computer screens and other backlit devices, these emit blue light, which suppresses the production of melatonin. This is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, which causes tiredness at the onset of darkness.

A red bulb in your bedside lamp could help induce sleep while you read. If reading from a device, switch to night mode or install a blue light filter application. ✔ I find the red lamp trick very effective.

Play Meditative Music

You may be able to drift off to the television, but, according to experts, gentle music is more effective. If you’re a classical fan, try Chopin’s Raindrops or the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Otherwise, ambient music without climax works well. Important is that it doesn’t exceed 80 beats per minute. Or try white sounds, like surf and wind.

Use Essential Oil of Lavender

Studies have shown that essential oil of lavender slows the heartbeat and relaxes muscles, thus reducing stress and effecting deeper sleep.

Sprinkle a few drops on your pillow and massage into the soles of your feet; it’s one of the few oils you can apply to the skin undiluted.

Source: Pixabay

3. Watch Your Eating and Drinking Habits

If you take your main meal in the evening, give it at least three hours to digest before going to bed. Otherwise, a turkey or tuna sandwich, a bowl of whole-grain cereal, or a glass of kefir could help you sleep better. Such foods contain tryptophan, which stimulates melatonin production. ✔ I have dinner by 7 p.m. and a glass of kefir about 30 minutes before turning in.

Restrict caffeinated beverages, like coffee, back tea, and some sodas, to the morning. Drink water and herbal teas from lunchtime onward. ✔ I drink one coffee in the morning, and filtered water for the rest of the day.

Avoid alcohol and nicotine before bed; these may seem calming, but they actually impair sleep quality. ✔ I quit smoking back in 2012 and may drink a glass of wine once or twice a year.

4. Melatonin

As a medicine, melatonin is prescribed or recommended specifically for the treatment of jet lag and shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), a disparity of the circadian rhythm resulting from irregular work hours, which could affect all chronotypes. By the same token, it is appropriate for those wishing to shift their chronotype. ✔

Taken regularly, it works as a powerful antioxidant and can help against GERD, in case this is keeping you awake. ✔

It’s available only on prescription in many countries.

5. Get Out of Bed

If you can’t fall asleep and are beginning to fret, get out of bed. Fix yourself a mug of hot chocolate or warm milk sprinkled with nutmeg (which can work as a mild sedative), and pursue a calming activity, like doing a jigsaw puzzle or, if you’re so inclined, yoga.

Or, before getting out of bed, consider a tiresome household chore you could tackle. ✔ This always sends me to sleep.

6. Practice Meditation or Keep a Journal

One of the most common causes of lying awake is an overactive mind. It’s the result of being so busy throughout the day that you literally don’t have time to think.

If the brain is to filter, delete, and store information relating to daily experiences as they occur, you need to take occasional breaks. If you don’t, it will begin its processing work when you go to bed, thus keeping you awake with unwanted thoughts, regardless of how exhausted you are.

You can work around this by practicing a simple form of meditation or writing in a journal as part of your bedtime routine.

Meditation

There’s no need to go into the lotus position or chant a mantra. It’s enough if you simply sit or lie with your eyes closed and observe whatever thoughts enter your head without actually analyzing them. Do this for between five and 20 minutes each evening, or whenever there’s a moment to spare during the day.

Keeping a Journal

Allow about ten minutes before going to bed to scribble down the day’s events, your thoughts on them, and anything that’s causing worry or concern.

This also helps if you’re unable to fall asleep again after waking in the middle of the night for no discernible reason. The usual cause is unresolved problems niggling at the back of the mind, or postponing commitments for a tomorrow that never arrives. Making a definite decision to resolve such issues and putting it down in writing will allow you to switch off and go to sleep. Keep the journal beside your bed for this purpose.

7. Install Night Lights or Keep a Flashlight on Your Nightstand

If you have difficulty falling back to sleep after visiting the bathroom, it’s probably due to lighting.

Bright light tells the body and brain that it’s time to wake up and start the day. To make matters worse, LED bulbs and fluorescent strips emit blue light, which, as previously mentioned, further undermines healthy sleep.

Solve this by installing dim night lights (ideally in red) to guide you, or keep a flashlight on your nightstand.

Frequent urination is often triggered by an underlying medical issue, so consult a health professional if you haven’t already. Otherwise, refrain from drinking three hours before going to bed.

8. Stop Watching the Clock and Use a Reliable Waking System

Watching the clock and worrying that you’ll have to struggle through the next day’s tasks in a state of fatigue is, in itself, a cause of lying awake. You’ll no doubt fall asleep when it’s almost time to get up and miss the alarm.

The remedy is to turn the clock away from you so that you can’t read it, and install a reliable waking system.

Set a loud alarm clock that has a “sleep” function for about half an hour before you need to get up. Additionally, plug a radio into a timer switch at the other end of the room, setting it for the exact time you have to get out of bed. The volume should be loud enough to wake the neighbors, thus forcing you to get up and turn it off. ✔

Rest assured that oversleeping is impossible, your nights of lying awake and worrying should be over.

Source: Courtesy of MGDboston at Morguefile.com

9. Stop Taking Daytime Naps and Get More Fresh Air and Exercise

If you wake to the slightest sound, you’re a light sleeper. A pair of earplugs would help, but what you really need is more fresh air and exercise.

Use the stairs instead of the elevator, and walk short distances instead of taking the car. More vigorous exercise should be taken several hours before bedtime, since it may prevent you from feeling tired. ✔ Living in a city, I have never needed a car on a daily basis and walk everywhere.

Daytime napping can also reduce sleep quality. Whenever you’re tempted to nod off, take a stroll instead.

10. Progressive Muscle Relaxation and the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique

Do these two simple exercises as soon as you lie down to sleep.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) makes falling asleep easier and, over time, enhances sense of wellbeing. Easy to perform, it involves nothing more than systematically tensing and relaxing individual muscle groups.

Tense the muscles of the lower legs for ten to 15 seconds, relax, wait ten seconds, then tense the muscles of the thighs. Continue in this way, ending at the neck and face. It helps if you imagine stress and tension flowing from your body as each muscle group relaxes.

The 4 – 7 – 8 Breathing Technique

Follow with the 4-7-8 breathing technique, which is a form of yogic paced breathing. By slowing the heartbeat and forcing the mind to focus on the way you breathe instead of matters that might keep you awake, it enables deeper relaxation.

This is how it’s done:

1. Breath out through your mouth, making a whooshing sound.
2. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for four seconds.
3. Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
4. Breath out through your mouth for 8 seconds.

This counts as one breath and should be repeated four times.

11. Create a Morning Routine to Look Forward to

This isn’t one of the tips I gathered, but it is something that works well for me: make yourself want to get out of bed in the morning.

Do something you’re capable of doing at that time of day; something you enjoy.

In spite of having become a morning person, I’m still groggy upon waking. But I look forward to my only coffee of the day (Nescafé instant) and scrolling through X (Twitter).

Using only freezing water, I then go for a shave and shower. It’s a shock to the system, and I loathe it but feel truly invigorated afterwards.

After a 20-minute brisk walk, I arrive at work fit and raring to go. More so, I think, than the “real” morning people.

© 2024, J. Richardson. All rights reserved.