Beating the January blues and helping you get out of bed
With the dark mornings continuing, it can be increasingly difficult to get out of bed. January is notoriously a time of low mood too. However, there are some methods that can help you to get out of bed and to get up on time.
In this blog post, Dr Lindsay Browning explores the impact of darker mornings and gives you some top tips on how to get up easier, even in the winter months.
How do darker mornings and evenings affect our sleep?
Generally, we produce a hormone called melatonin to tell our bodies when to sleep. When we produce this hormone is regulated by our light exposure and circadian rhythm. Light exposure supresses our melatonin production.
In winter, we get reduced light levels which leads to an increase in melatonin production. With darker evenings and mornings, we may go to work in the dark and go home from work in the dark, leading to a significant reduction in the light cues we need. This can affect our general sleepiness, leading to us feeling less energetic and alert during the day, as well as making us feel less enthused about leaving our beds in the mornings.
7 top tips to make getting up easier
Firstly, don’t confuse feeling a bit ‘sleepy’ and ‘groggy’ with needing more sleep, when you first wake up in the morning. It is possible that you have been woken (by your alarm, a noise or small child!) in the middle of your sleep cycle. This can make it harder to wake up, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you haven’t had enough sleep or need more. Your body just needs a little time to readjust, which it will once you are up and about. Knowing this can really help with getting out of bed, especially if you are getting the recommended 7-9 hours sleep, for an adult.
Here are some more tips which can also make getting up and ensuring you are up on time, a bit easier:
1. Get out of bed as soon as your alarm sounds
This is definitely easier said than done! As tempting as it is, lying in bed and thinking to yourself ‘just ten more minutes’, this can actually makes things worse. You’ll either end up falling back asleep, which will make you late for work, or you’ll be lying there with your negative thoughts before the day has even begun. Also, if you repeatedly hit the snooze button, you won’t be getting good quality sleep as it will be broken by the repeated alarm.
Waking up is a habit, and like a habit it can be learnt. Waking up as soon as your alarm sounds regularly will become a habit and, therefore, getting out of bed this winter will be no problem.
Another little tip is to sit up as soon as your alarm goes off. Making simple posture changes can help to wake your body and keep you from hitting the snooze button.
2. Put your alarm far away from reach
If you’re still having trouble avoiding the snooze button, there is the old trick of moving your alarm across the room. There aren’t many things more annoying than your alarm, so it going off non-stop from the other side of the room is a great way to get you out of bed. It gives you that motivation you need and once you’re up, you will be ready to start your day.
3. Get something warm and inviting for breakfast
Looking forward to a tasty breakfast can also help you wanting to leave your bed. In the winter months, as soon as you wake up, make yourself a hot cup of coffee or tea and a warm breakfast, such as porridge. Something inviting and nurturing.
The breakfast will not only warm you up, but will also help replenish your energy levels.
If you are using the oven to cook a breakfast, leave the oven door open once the oven has been turned off to release heat to the rest of the house.
4. Plan your day the night before
Before you end your evening and decide to go to sleep, write down what you are going to get done and organise your next day, ideally at least an hour or two before you go to bed.
This will not only make your day more productive, it will also reduce anxiety when you go to bed because you won’t be lying there worrying about what you need to do tomorrow, resulting in you falling asleep faster.
The more sleep you get, the less tired you’ll feel in the morning, which will ultimately get you out of bed quicker. You can also plan what you’re going to wear and pack your lunch the night before so you save time in the morning.
5. Motivate yourself
It is much easier to get out of bed when you have something to look forward to in the morning, other than work. Try to create a morning ritual and enjoy the little things, such as a morning coffee, a gym class, or reading a few pages of your current book. This will help you want to wake up, get out of bed and start your day.
6. Shower immediately after waking up
Getting out of bed is hard enough as it is but, when it’s cold, it seems like an almost impossible task.
Having a shower straight after getting out of bed is a great way to get the blood flowing, warming you up and helping boost your energy for the day ahead. If you have planned your outfit, getting dressed is easier too.
7. Open your curtains
It is good to get into the habit of opening your curtains first thing in the morning. This routine will not only give you a reason to get out of bed, but as the light fills your eyes, it will help you feel more alert.
Opening the curtains, most importantly, makes falling back asleep much harder, as it suppresses the sleep hormone, melatonin.
Waking up tired?
One of the main reason people find it hard to get up in the morning is when they are not getting enough sleep before their alarm goes off and their required wake up time.
It is recommended that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Furthermore, the quality of sleep must be of a good standard to ensure you feel refreshed and ready to leave your bed.
If you are worried about your lack of sleep, trouble falling asleep or having a constant struggle to get out of bed each morning, despite your belief you are ‘sleeping well’ or ‘sleeping enough’, do get in touch.
If you have employees, who are struggling with getting to work on time or maintaining productivity throughout the day, because they are finding it difficult to get out of bed or get enough sleep. Please do get in touch about Trouble Sleeping’s seminars and corporate event support.