How To Become A Morning Person

Are you a morning person or a night person, or as social scientists call them … LARKS – those who are up and doing early in the morning and OWLS – those who are most alert at night.

Studies have been done on which type of person is best to be, but nothing conclusive has been made. Altho I’ve always remembered that one well known person who chimed in on this subject – Mr. Ben Franklin, and his “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” I did a little digging on this and found this to be NOT TRUE.  Researches analyzed a national sample of women and men who had been surveyed years ago on health, wealth and wisdom.  And what they found was Owls had larger incomes and more toys than Larks, both Owls and Larks scored just about the same on cognitive tests, and neither showed any doctor or self reported health difference.

Sorry Mr. Franklin – the saying was good while it lasted.

So what kind of person are you? I know I’m a LARK !! I love getting up early in the morning, 4:30 is usually about right. No alarm clock, just the inner one that feels if I sleep any longer, then I’ve just wasted precious morning time.  Give me a couple cups of coffee and my minds ready to go by 5:30 AM.  I do my best work in the AM – it’s quiet, no one’s asking me to do anything, the telephones not ringing, and MY CREATIVE JUICES ARE FLOWING – it’s just my ME TIME.  It does have it’s drawbacks tho – I’m pretty much done by 9:00 and fast asleep no later than 10:00. But that’s OK – at my age I’m just fine with that.

So how about you? Are you a night owl looking to become a morning person?  Maybe the tips below can help you out

6 Tips to Becoming a Morning Person

1. Put yourself on a morning schedule – do everything at the same time. That means waking up at a set time, eating and exercising at the same time as well.  It’s all about getting into a routine.
2. Toss the old fashioned alarm clock and start using a smart alarm, this way you’re not inclined to hit the snooze.  Have your smart alarm play a random song as your alarm, and make sure to change it up every so often.
3. Let in the light – trick yourself into thinking it’s later in the morning by using a bright indoor light to go on when your alarm starts ringing.  You’ll be less likely to think it’s still too early to get up.
4. Get some exercise – researchers say exercising first thing in the morning helps wake up your body.  It lowers your blood pressure, reduces stress and anxiety AND it helps you sleep better at night.
5. Have a protein-heavy meal – EGGS & YOGURT are protein, and protein increases your dopamine levels which facilitates wakefulness, while BAGELS & MUFFINS are carbs, and carbs promote sleep.
6. Try not to nap – fight the urge to nap as it will mess up your ability to go to bed at a reasonable hour. If you can get past those first 15 minutes of tiredness during the afternoon, you should get a second wind and be good to go until bedtime.

Good luck 🙂