For many bankable figures, starting the day early in the morning is the key secret to productivity and consequently, success. Here, we take a closer look at the five benefits of waking up early and advice on how you can get up early.
For many people, especially adolescents, waking up early is simply out of the question. This is because these night owls are used to staying up late, staring their eyes at the computer screen or hammering away at the keyboards.
While getting into the habit of waking up early seems like an impossible task, it is highly recommended by scientists due to its various health benefits. One of the most popular cliches revolving around the benefit of waking up early is the sentence: ‘The early bird catches the worm’.
To know whether the sentence holds, let’s take a look at five scientifically-backed benefits of getting up early.
1. Better sleep quality
According to Eachnight, people who wake up early tend to go to bed earlier, thereby developing a consistent sleep schedule. Having a routine wake and sleep time means that your circadian cycle—the internal body clock—can be balanced. Specifically, you’ll get better sleep at night, avoid nightmares or sleepwalking, and wake up feeling refreshed. By contrast, regularly waking up late can delay the processes inside your body clock, rendering you too fatigued to kick-start a productive day.
2. Healthier skin
How many times have you got up, looked at yourself in the mirror and become stunned to find new spots and wrinkles on your face? Well, according to Healthline, waking up early can greatly improve your skin and get rid of those unwanted blemishes.
During a high-quality sleep cycle, your skin cells will regenerate, giving you that glorious look in the morning. By contrast, waking up late is often accompanied by sleep deprivation, which is the main culprit behind shadowy eyelids or other irritating marks on your face.
3. Improved brain function
Healthline reports that waking up early will trigger your brain activities, boost mental focus, and increase productivity for the whole day. This makes sense given that Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and several other accomplished people all share one common thing: they go to bed early and wake up early. Scientists have also pointed out the link between waking up early and success, highlighting that early birds can proactively steer clear of mental problems such as poor memory, trouble concentrating and thinking, and mood swings. So, if you still have that dream of becoming a billionaire, the first thing you should do is go to bed and wake up early!
4. Extra time
Just get up a little bit earlier than usual, and you will have plenty of extra time for everything: sipping a cup of coffee in the fresh morning air, playing with your kids, or simply getting to work sooner.
5. Increased organization
Waking up late can put pressure on your timeline, while by waking up early, you’ll have more time to contemplate things, as well as organize and plan for your entire day. When things are organized and arranged meticulously, the risk of failure will decrease, putting less pressure on your mind.
How can you wake up early?
Night owls will find it extremely difficult to switch their nocturnal routine to a morning one, but practice makes perfect. As long as you’re determined, waking up early will be easy. Here are some tips to support your early bird habits:
Move up your alarm time: A very effective, and sometimes annoying tactic that will definitely get you alert in the early morning. Try setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier every day, so that you will have to wake up to turn off the raucous noise. Gradually, this will help you build a habit of waking up early even without the assistance of an alarm.
Avoid eating heavy snacks: Overeating at night and before bedtime can not only can cause stomach problems but can also lead to sleep troubles. Therefore, try to provide yourself with enough nutrients during the day so that you won’t be tempted for a snack at midnight.
Avoid blue light: it seems impossible, but trying to stay away from your phone screen will do wonders for your health and give you a tight sleep. That’s why scientists recommend switching your screens off at least 1 hour before bedtime.
