How to Wake Up

Do you find yourself dragging out of bed each and every morning? Repeatedly slapping the snooze alarm? Or longing for the weekend when you can sleep in? Then it's time to learn how to wake up by following a few easy steps that can make for a more restful night and a less groggy morning.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A comfy bed
• An alarm clock
• A good attitude

1. Eat a well balanced diet. The typical American diet consists of white flour, white sugar caffeine, and processed foods, along with large dinners and late night snacking. All of these things can wreak havoc on our bodies, especially when it comes to how well we sleep. And when we don't sleep well, we have a harder time waking up. Here are some tips for eating healthier: Eat a lighter dinner focusing more on vegetables, small amount of protein and fruits. Do not snack past eight o'clock unless it's on fruits or vegetables. Cut back on caffeine limiting yourself to one cup of coffee daily or switching to decaf. Switch to whole grains instead of white flour, honey instead of white sugar, and eat more whole foods instead of processed.
2. Exercise daily for at least 20 minutes. Getting the body moving daily and the heart pumping through cardio exercises ensures a more restful sleep at night. Make exercise a daily routine and you'll find that the more you do it, the better you feel, the better you sleep and the more you want to continue doing it. Some good exercises to fit into a hectic schedule walking, jogging, swimming, yoga classes, walking on a treadmill at home and using an exercise DVD at home.
3. Develop a bedtime routine. This makes going to bed enjoyable and something you look forward to at the end of the day. Plus having a nighttime routine will help your body ease into a good sleep pattern. Some things to do to get ready for bed: Drink a cup of chamomile tea an hour before bedtime. Take a warm bath. Read.
4. Have a morning ritual that makes you want to get up. The night before lay out your clothes and get things ready for breakfast such as setting the table, preparing food the night before that can be made up quickly the next morning and setting the coffee maker to start brewing. In the morning set your alarm clock and start getting up at the same time everyday, even on the weekends so that you get used to it. Make a morning ritual give yourself something to look forward to getting up for. Some ideas include setting aside some time after you rise to pray or meditate; taking a brisk 20-minute walk; drinking two full glasses of water; drinking a cup of green tea and checking your emails.
5. Last step is to make it a habit. Be persistent and stick with the routine for at least two weeks. It will take your body time to adjust. Eventually all the new changes will become habit and you will find that waking up becomes easier and more enjoyable.

Tips & Warnings

• Make small changes, but stick with them.
• Add one new thing and do it faithfully every day until it becomes a habit.
• Don't give up.