Reading time: 3 min

You naturally have your own body rhythm that determines how much sleep you need and when your body prefers to sleep. One of the best things you can do for your health is to get enough sleep. Lack of sleep contributes to many health issues and also tends to lower your Heart Rate Variability scores.

By recognizing your natural rhythms, you may be able to plan your day to capitalize on your strengths. In addition, timing your rest and workouts may even help improve your heart rate variability (HRV).

What is Circadian Rhythm?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, your circadian rhythms reflect your cycle of alertness, drowsiness, and sleep. Do you feel drowsy between 1 pm and 3 pm? If so, this is part of an average circadian rhythm. The exact time varies depending on whether you are a morning lark or a night owl. If you are well rested you might not feel as drowsy as you would if sleep deprived.

Your brain’s hypothalamus controls your circadian rhythm. Usually, natural day and night patterns influence this resulting in people craving more sleep during darker winter months than they do during the long summer days. The modern lifestyle disrupts natural circadian rhythms.

Finding Your Circadian Rhythm

In addition to day and night patterns, lifestyle and personal preferences may come into play. Dr. Michael Breus wrote “The Power of When” about individual variations in circadian rhythms. He classes people into four sleep chronotypes types: bear, lion, dolphin, and wolf.

According to Dr. Breus, your chronotype determines when you are most energetic. You can live your best life by planning to work, exercise, make decisions, or sleep at the “right” times for your natural rhythm.

He developed a sleep rhythm quiz to help people determine which type best describes them.

Wolf:

The wolf is the proverbial night owl. If you are a wolf you tend to be drowsy if you need to wake up early in the morning. Wolves peak from noon to 2 pm and again in the evening.

Lion:

The lion is the early bird that gets the worm. If you are a lion then you are likely ready to seize the day early in the morning. Your most productive hours are in the early morning. You tend to feel exhausted at night and go to bed early.

Dolphin:

The dolphin is harder to categorize than the bear, lion, and wolf. If you are a dolphin, you may be a light sleeper and often feel sleep deprived. Dolphins tend to be most productive mid-morning to early afternoon.

Bear:

The bear is the most common chronotype. If you are a bear, then your waking and sleeping rhythms follow the sun and moon. You sleep well and are most alert mid-morning. You may feel a big energy dip during the mid-afternoon.

Tips:

We can’t always control which hours we need to be awake. Work schedules, family obligations, travel, and our social lives sometimes require us to be awake during less ideal times. Try these tips to make the best use of your natural rhythms:

  • Try to avoid accumulating sleep debt. If you are caught up on your sleep then staying up later one night or getting up too early doesn’t affect you as much.
  • Plan your day to prioritize getting 7-8 hours of sleep most nights.
  • Try to plan your challenging projects or meetings during your peak alertness and productivity hours as much as possible.
  • Pay attention to how you feel and to your daily HRV readings.
  • Be physically active or exercise daily, for many people outdoor activity helps balance their circadian rhythms.

Working with your body’s rhythm helps you stay productive while looking and feeling your best.

Sources and Resources

Reading time: 5 min

We all have days where getting out of bed feels impossible. Whether you were up too late having fun or it’s simply the weekend, sleeping in from time to time is both natural and normal.

For some people, however, waking up early is a constant chore that never seems to get better. Failing to get a good night’s sleep and being unable to wake up early can be major burdens on everyday life, making it harder to be productive and attend early morning engagements on time.

The good news is that this struggle can be rectified. By setting routines and adopting healthy lifestyle habits, you can get on your way to jumping out of bed when the alarm strikes six. Even if you’re a self-proclaimed night owl, here’s how to wake up easier and learn to love your mornings.

Why Waking Up Is Hard

We’ve all experienced feeling sluggish, tired, and unmotivated in the morning. Nearly half of Americans said that poor sleep affects their daily life, according to a study by The National Sleep Foundation. Of those surveyed, 20% also said they didn’t wake up feeling refreshed the next day, and 25% rated their sleep quality as poor.

With data like that, it’s no surprise that so many people struggle to wake up in the morning. But what if you make an effort to go to bed at a decent hour and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle — and still struggle to sleep well and wake up with energy? Several sleep disorders could be to blame.

Sleep Disorders That Make Waking Up Hard

Certain sleep disorders and conditions can exacerbate the grogginess you feel upon waking up. For example, sleep apnea is a common sleep condition characterized by a partial or complete blockage of the throat.

Sleep apnea is when a person’s breathing involuntarily stops during sleep. Loud snoring is the most common symptom of sleep apnea, but it can also cause a person to wake up gasping for air or with a dry mouth or headache.

Struggling to fall asleep at a normal bedtime or having insomnia also makes it hard to wake up early. Waking up throughout the night, waking up too early, and suffering from daytime tiredness, irritability, and lack of mental stamina are all signs of insomnia. This sleep disorder is considered chronic when experienced for three months straight.

Sleep inertia is another common reason why you might struggle with grogginess and brain fog as you start your day. Though not a sleep disorder, sleep inertia is typically caused by being abruptly awoken either by an alarm clock or another force.

According to neurologist and sleep medicine specialist Dr. Brandon Peters, “This phenomenon leads to sleepiness and cognitive and psychomotor impairment that can occur immediately after awakening.” Sleep deprivation and waking earlier than normal can disrupt slow-wave, or deep sleep, to trigger sleep inertia.

Circadian Rhythm Disruptions

Changes to your circadian rhythm may also be to blame for poor sleep. Responsible for your sleep-wake cycle, your circadian rhythm regulates when you feel sleepy, when you wake up, and how much energy you have during daylight hours.

Circadian rhythms are primarily influenced by light. The absence of sunlight after sunset is what triggers the circadian rhythm to release the hormone melatonin in the brain, which makes us feel tired so we can prepare for a good night’s rest.

Your circadian rhythm can be disrupted by a variety of sleep disorders, including delayed sleep disorder. This disorder, most common in teenagers, is when someone’s internal clock prevents them from going to sleep at a normal hour. As a result, they tend to fall asleep between 2 and 6 a.m., making it hard to wake before the rest of the world has started their day.

Your body’s natural sleep cycle can also be negatively impacted by lifestyle factors, such as working late nights and sleeping through the day. Shift work asks a person’s circadian rhythm to work in reverse and ignore the release of melatonin at night. This can make it harder for a shift worker to get the sleep they need during the daytime, making them chronically tired from day to day.

Additional factors that can disrupt a person’s circadian rhythm include frequently staying up late, having an inconsistent sleep schedule throughout the week, consuming high amounts of alcohol, and experiencing jet lag. Suffering from anxiety and ADHD can also affect a person’s ability to sleep well.

How to Wake Up Easier

Whether you struggle from a sleep disorder like sleep apnea or you’re simply prone to late-night Netflix binges, here are a few lifestyle changes that can make waking up more pleasant.

Clarify Your Motivation

If you’re reading this article, it’s likely you have a reason why you want to get up earlier. Do you want to exercise before work? Do you want to have breakfast with your family?

Getting clear on why you want to wake up earlier can make the change stick. A healthy living expert with a master’s degree in public health, Michelle Segar suggests telling loved ones about the change you’re willing to make. Having an early morning accountability partner can be just the motivation you need to stop hitting snooze and get better quality sleep.

Create a Consistent Bedtime Routine

First and foremost, creating a consistent bedtime routine is essential for rising with gusto. If you go to bed at 1 a.m. one night and 8 p.m. the next because you’re so tired, your brain won’t have time to adjust to consistent sleep patterns. One way to help yourself fall asleep earlier at a consistent time is to set a boundary for your devices.

Since the blue light from smartphones and tablets can mimic the sun and disrupt your circadian rhythm, it’s best to limit their use after sundown. Sticking to this schedule on the weekends can also help you maintain consistency in your sleep-wake schedule to get your biological clock back on track.

Create a Consistent Morning Routine

A morning routine is something almost all early risers have in common. Some people use their time to meditate, exercise, or journal. Other people use it to pour a cup of coffee and read — as it might be their only moment of solitude in the day. Whatever you decide, make sure you’re exposed to ample sunlight. This will keep your circadian rhythms in check for better sleep that evening.

Try the R.I.S.E. U.P. Method

The R.I.S.E. U.P. Method is especially helpful for people who suffer from sleep inertia, but anyone who dislikes mornings can benefit from adopting at least some of these principles. Pioneered by Dr. Harvey of the Golden Bear Sleep Research Center, this technique helps you feel more alert and energized after waking up. This acronym stands for:

Refrain from snoozing
Increase activity for the first hour
Shower or wash face
Expose yourself to sunlight
Upbeat music
Phone a friend

Including even a few of these elements in your morning may be the trick to help you reshape your wake-up routine. Plus, a number of these elements help reinforce other early-riser tips (such as phoning a friend, who can also be your accountability partner).

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Track Your Sleep

Tracking your sleep can help motivate you to stick to your morning and night routines, especially when you start seeing that a consistent sleep schedule may have a positive impact on your sleep, recovery, performance and overall well-being. With the Biostrap Recover Set, you can gain access to valuable insights into your sleep and nocturnal biometrics. And, when you start monitoring trends over time (week, month, year), you’ll see the effects your lifestyle choices have on your physiology long term.

Curious to find out what the best time for you to go to bed and wake up is? Biostrap’s advanced sleep analysis feature, called Sleep Lab, provides you exactly that, and more.

Wake Up Easier and Become a Morning Person

If you’re wondering how to wake up easier, you’re not alone. Millions of people suffer from sleep disorders and lifestyle factors that make it harder to fall asleep, get enough sleep, and maintain a consistent wake-up time.

Fortunately, changing your lifestyle to adopt a morning and evening routine can ensure that you readjust your body clock and create better sleep habits. So what are you waiting for? A more energized and productive morning awaits!

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