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Ways to Fall Asleep & Wake Up Early

Unless you are a morning person naturally, you know how challenging it is going to bed and rising early. While the early-to-bed and early-to-rise lifestyle offers you the chance to accomplish your tasks sooner in the day, it's not worth it if you aren't getting a quality night of sleep. Succeeding in this routine requires a careful examination of your habits, as anything that interferes with your sleep lessens your chances of going to bed and getting up when you want to.

  1. Avoid Eating Before Bed

    • No matter how early you go to bed, you will not feel rested in the morning if you indulge in a meal shortly before attempting to sleep. Consuming chocolate, red wine or coffee late in the day are especially challenging to the digestive system, and cramming any substance into your body just before bedtime will make sleep difficult. Give your body at least two hours to digest the last meal of the day before you go to bed.

    Don't Nap

    • Be careful when tempted to sneak in an afternoon or early evening nap. Your odds of going to bed and waking up at the time you want decrease if you make any significant alterations to your sleep schedule over the course of the day. If you find yourself getting tired well before your normal bed time, resist the urge to nap, even if you were short on sleep the previous night. Giving in only makes things worse for the next day.

    Manage Stress

    • If you expect to succeed in the early-to-bed and early-to-rise game, learn how to combat stress effectively and keep yourself relaxed mentally. Few factors affect the quality of your sleep quite like a nagging concern that you can't shake. This makes it unlikely that you will fall asleep easily or feel refreshed enough to get up early the next morning. Develop a soothing ritual to clear your head before bed and in the morning. Exercise regularly and take up activities like meditation or yoga.

    Keep Noise Down

    • While some sleepers may swear by keeping the television on or playing music throughout the night, a quiet environment is typically preferable to a noisy one when it comes to sleeping well. The more noise you subject yourself to, the more likely you are to wake up in the middle of the night, if you succeed in falling asleep in the first place. If escaping late night sounds is impossible, try masking it with simple white noise, like a fan or a radio set between stations.

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