Get Rid of Insomnia: Be a Morning Person

Get Rid of Insomnia: Be a Morning Person

from the article 'Can You Become a Morning Person?'
By Laura Vanderkam | July 12, 2011

1. Look at what you’re doing before bed. Are you watching TV late at night? TiVo your late night shows and watch them at some other point. Everything about television is designed to keep you watching for another half hour. Real life doesn’t have the same pre-commercial cliff-hangers… which makes it easier to get in bed. When I stayed in an eco-lodge once with no electricity (i.e. no TV, no internet, and no lights for reading) it was almost impossible to stay up past 9:30PM. So much for being into late nights.

2. Look at what you’re consuming. Alcohol can affect sleep patterns (as can caffeine). Too much before bed will have you falling asleep, but will make getting up needlessly painful — necessitating several cups of coffee during the day. Best to stick to a drink at dinner and one cup of coffee in the AM rather than engage in an arms race with more of both.

3. Plan something enjoyable for your mornings. The point of training yourself to get up early is not to then fill that extra hour with something you find tortuous. The idea is to make time in your busy life for something profoundly important to you. I love running outside, especially in quiet, wooded parks. Unfortunately, in July, I simply can’t do this in the 90 degree heat in the middle of the day. So, knowing that waking up at 6AM is the only way I’ll get my run in, I find myself far more motivated to set the alarm.

Have you managed to become a morning person?

MY THOUGHTS

Have you ever experienced that?  Being some place where there's no TV, no internet, no cellphone even? Did you wonder how it was so easy for you to close your eyes and sleep soundly?

Mornings are great.  Something that people with sleep disorders cannot enjoy.  And it's a cycle that you needs to be broken.  If you get up early enough and let the morning sun shine on you, you will naturally go to bed early.

I like item no. 3 suggesting planning for something enjoyable in the mornings.  I like it because it gives me something to  think about.  Maybe that's one reason for me to be up early tomorrow-to think about what I want to do in the morning.