Waking Up Well
words Ry-Ann Lim
What makes a good morning?
Waking up easily in the morning is a good sign of health and sleep, but many of us experience stress every morning. We usually set our alarm for a random time, it may go off in the middle of the deep sleep phase when our muscles are most relaxed. It raises your blood pressure and sets a stressful tone not just for the morning but for the whole day. However, we actually have more control over how our day starts than we imagine.
To me, a good start to the day starts with a good night’s sleep.
Every person spends a significant part of their life sleeping. A good night’s sleep helps us stay sharp, productive, and happy. Yet so many of us pay little attention to how healthy our sleep is. Here are some tips and tricks that have helped me — try sticking to it for a week or so and see if it works for you.
Experts advise having a temperature and noise checklist. For example, take a warm bath before bedtime to relax your muscles. Ensure your bedroom is well ventilated before sleeping. If it’s too hot, turning on the aircon to cool the room down helps. Tune out of your devices an hour prior to bedtime and instead play relaxing music or white noise.
Visualise your morning. Before going to bed, imagine the clock going off, then focus on something pleasant waiting for you the next day. Imagine how easily you’ll wake up, refreshed and excited to start the day!
Now, what makes a good morning? How do we wake up well?
First, define your ideal alarm time. It is recommended to wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Experts say that the alarm time should go off in the lightest sleep phase. For snooze’s sake, you can change the time you wake up to 10-20 minutes later but no more than that. Identify a pleasant trigger, something that you react positively to. Try different types of alarm sounds to find which one helps you wake up without stress. To avoid waking up in the morning to stress, try waking up to music or nature sounds that gradually increase in volume rather than a blaring alarm.
Waking up with the morning sunlight is pleasant for me, so I’ve changed my curtains from black-out curtains to slightly more transparent sheer curtains. This helps me wake up as the sun gently rises. I have found myself waking up nice and easy.
I’ll also be experimenting with the natural alarm clock to help wake me up, i.e. my body clock. For example, tuning in to a “digestive alarm clock” by letting my morning appetite help me gradually wake up. This is done by avoiding heavy meals before going to bed. This also includes avoiding fatty and sweet food for dinner and to stop eating at least three hours before bedtime.
Start your morning in a good mood.
Your body has its own internal clock affected by light, temperature and other regulators such as digestive, stress and motivation. If you activate them properly, you are off to a nice start. Turning on the light or opening your window blinds turns up your body’s melatonin and quickly reduces drowsiness. It is also recommended to exercise and have your breakfast in bright light.
As the saying goes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A filling breakfast gets your digestive clock started. If you’re like me, someone who is not hungry in the morning, try to reduce the amount of food you eat for dinner. Lean towards protein for breakfast, they will prevent overeating during the day. Large amounts of sweets and carbs may cause a sugar crash early in the day.
Next, taking a contrast shower in the morning. Alternating between cold and hot water can also provide an energy boost.
Lastly, your willpower and self-control are at a maximum in the morning. Use your first few hours of the morning for important decisions and thoughts. I often journal in the morning or read devotional materials or religious text for insight and wisdom. I also recommend Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic for a daily dose of meaningful text worth meditating on.
We hope these tips and tricks are useful for you. There are no hard and fast rules, do experiment to find out what feels good to your body!