For many successful people, getting up early is the key to productivity. People who accomplish things, from athletes to physicians, advise getting up early because it provides you more time to get things done or start your day off on the right foot.
The successful people gang like Timothy Donald Cook, who wakes up at 3:45 am, Bob Iger, who wakes up at 4:00 am, Michele Obama, and Kris Jenner, who also wakes up at 5:00 am. They wake up early to prepare themselves for the morning routine, one of the success determinants today.
Waking up earlier gives us more opportunities to spend the day calmly. While some people may be more productive at night, most are most productive after waking up.
Science explains Morning Wakefulness and Nighttime sleepiness
The body is designed to produce melatonin when the atmosphere is dark or low light. This is what makes the cycle of sleep and waking up. This cycle is created by the circadian, which works based on the dark and light atmosphere around the body.
The eye's retina signals the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus to suppress melatonin production when light is present. This makes the body more responsive and excited in the morning while weak and sleepy at night.
A study published in JAMA Psychiatry explains that getting up in the early morning can relieve symptoms of depression. Waking up and going to bed an hour earlier makes your mental health more awake.
The benefits of getting up early
source: Pexels
Being an early riser is not easy. It feels like resetting every activity that will be carried out on that day. The wave of comfort attached to the bed gets stronger in the morning. Therefore, you must know the benefits of getting up early.
1. More ‘me time’ in the morning
Getting up early in the morning solves the problem if you are a career person who hardly has time to pamper yourself. By getting up early, you will have time to pamper yourself every day in the morning.
You'll get more time to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate milk, journal about the things you're grateful for, read a book, or even soak in the bath with your favourite soap. The morning routines will be complete, starting with mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual.
2. Morning exercise
Exercise is one way to take care of the body. Well, if you are a person who likes to exercise and have trouble finding the right time to exercise, morning exercise is the answer.
No more excuses for not exercising because you are tired after work or even have to work late at the office. You will find your days change for the better when you exercise in the morning.
A study published in Semantics Scholar says you only need 30 minutes of exercise in the morning. After 30 minutes, your body will start producing endorphins which can make you feel better and have more energy.
3. Gain more energy
Our bodies are naturally designed to sleep at night so that you will fulfill your sleep cycle. Being an early bird gives you more energy in the morning.
Sleep has a cycle in the form of REM and NREM. When the process is not running, the body will immediately respond with no energy, weakness, or lethargy when you wake up. On the other hand, when the sleep cycle runs smoothly, both physically and mentally are better. Hormones that stimulate cell growth become more effective.
4. Healthier lifestyle and skin
Compromising with age and skin health is now a problem for everyone. Fine lines, wrinkles, and droopy eye bags are the effects of an unhealthy life, one of which is lack of sleep.
Getting a good night's sleep and getting up early in the morning will help maintain healthy skin. When sleeping, skin cells will regenerate. Waking up at 4–5 am makes the skin look fresher. It would be best to have natural skin care, like fresh air, for a healthy lifestyle.
5. Well organized
Many things happen beyond our expectations. Maybe before going to bed, we plan to cook our favourite breakfast, monthly shopping after work, and quality time with family. Unfortunately, you woke up late. These plans failed instantly. You can prevent things like this if you wake up early.
Get up early and start planning what you want to get done today. Complete the to-do list in the morning. Try setting a priority job to finish first.
6. Escape from heavy traffic
We still wonder how the 5 minute time difference in going to work makes us stuck in traffic. One solution is to leave early. You won't be stuck in traffic jams if you leave early.
7. Better mental health
Not only unpleasant events can be stressful, but events that are not in our life plan sometimes also make us want to run away. Right?
Sleep is closely related to mental health. Too much sleep is an indication that you have mental problems. Now try to wake up earlier. When you wake up earlier, your emotions will be more controlled, your mindset will be more positive, and you will be more productive.
So, how to wake up early?
How to get up early? How do we embed the habit of getting up early? Actually, getting up early in the morning is a choice that everyone can make. You can wake up early or not, depending on your preference. However, some people with certain conditions can not choose.
Go to bed early
source: Amerisleep
One of the tips for being an early riser is to go to bed early. The body needs sleep. It can be 8 hours or 7 hours a day. Waking up late is an indication that you are not getting enough sleep.
Eat a light dinner
The body needs time to digest food. Your metabolism will be disturbed when your dinner is too heavy or spicy. Heartburn, nausea, and an uncomfortable feeling in the stomach will affect the quality of your sleep. So in order to be able to wake up early, you need a good quality of sleep every night.
Avoid blue light before bedtime
Scrolling through social media or watching videos on Youtube is fun. However, the radiation emitted from cell phones can suppress the body's melatonin production. Inhibited hormone production makes it difficult to sleep and difficult to wake up in the morning. Keep out the radiation beam at least an hour before bed. Avoid bringing your cell phone to your bed.
Be kind to Yourself
Sometimes, waking up in the morning can be a little annoying, especially when the body feels exhausted. So, allow yourself to lie in bed longer when you're not feeling well. Be nice to yourself.
Key takeaways
Did you know that getting up early and getting enough sleep is the first step to practising good time management? Indeed, managing time is not as easy as getting up in the morning, but this is a better step. Try it.
By getting used to getting up early, you will have enough time to plan what activities you will do. Your days will be more productive and vibrant. Start slowly. Remember that little progress is still progress.
