How to get out of bed if you’re not a morning person

Why is it so hard to get up when you're not a morning person?

Do you find it difficult to get up in the morning? Then you probably do not count yourself among the morning persons. When your alarm clock mercilessly rings early in the morning, the daily struggle begins: Although you're actually still far too tired and sluggish and your warm bed feels insanely cozy, you have to get up. The fact that getting up is such a challenge for morning grouches is due to their chronobiology.

You've probably heard of owls and larks – two terms for different sleep types. While their internal clock makes larks natural early risers who enjoy high energy levels in the morning, morning grouches belong to the owl type. As such, they only really perk up in the evening, but find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. Unfortunately, our society doesn't make it easy for people who are not morning persons because it operates on a schedule of early risers. Most people can't sleep in as they please in the morning, but have to be at the office on time, take the kids to school or fulfill other obligations. This can leave morning grouches feeling burned out quickly or relying too heavily on stimulants like caffeine to feel awake. What tips really help when it comes to having more energy in the morning?

How to get out of bed easier as a morning grouch

As someone who is grouchy in the morning, what tricks help you get out of bed early? Since you don't wake up by yourself in the morning, you probably rely on an alarm clock to get you out of bed on time. But while it may startle you out of sleep, it neither puts you in a good mood nor gives you energy. To make your start to the day more pleasant in the future, here are a few tips that really help morning grouches. Even if you'll probably have to force yourself to try out one or two of them 😉

Morning light

Darkness signals to our bodies that it's time to enter – or remain in – rest mode. Thus, if it's too dark in your bedroom in the morning, it's only natural that your body won't want to get going. To feel awake and energized, you should expose yourself to morning light. This helps to reduce the sleep hormone melatonin. As a result, you feel alert and want to get active. So instead of hiding under your covers, if you're not a morning person, let plenty of sunlight into your bedroom. Draw the curtains wide open and open the blinds completely. And while you're at the window, use the opportunity to take a breath of fresh air. The cool morning air will refresh your senses and help you feel more awake.

Exercise 

If getting out of bed is already too much for you, you may not want to hear about early morning exercise. But for morning grouches in particular, exercise in the morning can work wonders. By working up a sweat, you can prevent two things that normally ruin your mornings: bad moods and a lack of drive. Even if your motivation only allows you to go for a quick walk, your body will reward you by releasing "happy hormones". Already you will feel more relaxed, and your irritability will have disappeared. 

Contrast showers

Similar to early morning exercise, contrast showers in the morning initially sound like a natural enemy of a morning grouch. Who would want to voluntarily trade the cozy warmth of their bed for a cold shower? But even if it doesn't sound appealing at first, nothing beats contrast showers when it comes to waking up your body. Not only does the cold water stimulate circulation and metabolism, it also strengthens the cardiovascular system. If you can overcome your initial reluctance to take a contrast shower, it's a great way to wake up your body. The only important thing is to slowly get your body used to the cold temperatures. For example, turn down the temperature a little each day in the shower to gradually increase your tolerance to the cold water. As soon as you feel that you can tolerate the cold, you can switch to classic contrast showers.

Sufficient sleep

Morning grouches who don't want to adjust their daily rhythm to that of society make it unnecessarily difficult for themselves to get up. If you stay up until the wee hours of the morning, it's no wonder you feel sluggish at the office the next day. But most people who are not morning persons just don't want to go to bed in the evening because they naturally don't get tired that quickly. However, this revenge bedtime procrastination is not very helpful, since in the long run it leads to you not getting enough regenerating night sleep. Therefore, try to prioritize getting enough sleep and establish fixed bedtimes. Before midnight during the week, turn off the lights and try to get enough sleep. This will automatically make you feel more awake in the morning. And if you really want to turn your nights into days, Friday or Saturday nights are a good time to do so.
 

Balanced breakfast

Morning grouches often stay in bed long enough to frantically get ready for the office and rush out the door without time for an energizing meal. They often go to the bakery later to buy a sweet croissant or some other quick energy booster, only to feel very tired and sluggish shortly afterwards. To avoid this slump in performance, it's worth incorporating a well-balanced breakfast into your morning routine. A breakfast with sufficient protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats naturally supports you in mastering the first half of the day with plenty of energy. And if there's just not enough time for breakfast at home? Then you can prepare a delicious breakfast for the office and enjoy it later at work.