Better habits remove early morning stress While walking to class these days, it's almost impossible to miss the long, snaking lines of pajama-clad students as they zombie-shuffle their way to that first cup of coffee.
I understand many have become accustomed to and may somehow enjoy the just-roll-out-of-bed lifestyle, but there are many others who, after experiencing what an 8 a.m. Monday class really means, would kill to be a "morning person."
To those people I say: It's easier than you think.
While there are a number of factors ranging from genetics to the temperature of your bedroom, the main determinate of when your body naturally wakes up is your circadian rhythm, or what's known as your "internal clock." Everything from whales to mushrooms have some form of one, and lucky for humans, ours is flexible. Things as simple as when and what you eat can influence it, but the easiest way to control it is through developing patterns or habits, hence a circadian "rhythm."
The idea is simple: Set your alarm for the time you ideally want to wake up. Force yourself to get up exactly at that time (snooze alarms are a big no-no), and make yourself go the whole day without a nap. The more there is to keep you engaged during the day, the easier it is to accomplish this (maybe go say hi to that jolly redhead who works at the Horseshoe Deli). Odds are, that night you'll be tired a lot earlier than usual. This is the most important part. Go to bed when you are tired.
Don't drag out your Facebook stalking sessions; don't glaze over in front of the TV until 3 a.m. Go to bed the second your eyes get heavy. This may be as late as 1 a.m. for some, or as early as 9 p.m. for others. Some days may be later than others. A study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that more Americans are forcing themselves to stay up later than usual due to stress and late-night entertainment. The important thing is to wake up at the same time every morning, and listen when your body says it's time for bed.
By no means will this work for everyone, including those with sleeping disorders. However, a number of studies and health blogs are showing the benefits for many. With so many distractions going on late at night from television programs, Internet surfing and even homework, very few people actually ever stop and allow this habit to develop.