14 Former Night People Share How They Learned to Love Mornings
By Suzannah Weiss. Photos: Courtesy of CNP Montrose.
Are you a night person or a morning person?. You probably lean one way or the other, but the truth is people are adaptable, and your status may not be set in stone. Not to mention, just because you have a preference doesn't mean your work, childcare or partner's schedule will allow you to work whenever you want. Especially if you're a night owl. So, we asked people whose jobs required them to stop staying up late how on Earth they found a way to rise and shine and actually get things done before 9 a.m. Here are some suggestions they gave.
Set a bedtime
"I love TV, Netflix, Youtube, etc., and it was my main problem when it came to going to bed. Once I set a bedtime, my sleeping habits got better." —Alicia, 27
Wear yourself out at night
"I work out hard in the evenings so I'm tired and can fall asleep early." —Zachary, 25
Know when to stop working, and use a musical alarm
"You have to be willing at 8 p.m. to say 'the day is over and everything can wait to be better, more productively done at 5 a.m.' Then also soothing music to wake up to, because it's pleasurable and not prompting you to hit the snooze button. Pandora has an alarm clock option. I have Bonobo radio lull me awake at 5 a.m. at low volume." —Paul, 30
Set multiple alarms
"I'm a big fan of the double alarm. Somehow, someway, my sleeping buddy will turn off alarms when they go off. So I set a second alarm a few minutes after the first." —Billy, 27
Use multiple alarm clocks
"My bedroom is like Captain Hook’s personal hell—alarm clocks everywhere. Different sounds, different volumes, different points of origin. I’m a pretty deep sleeper, and if my phone gets buried under one of our great danes in the middle of the night, I won’t hear it." —Abtin, 28
Hang out with fewer night people
"It helped to not be around when everyone seemed to be a night person. I would be out partying until 2 a.m. constantly." —Sara, 31
Live somewhere calm
"I moved to Hawaii! When I lived in Los Angeles, night culture was so important, and it felt like if you weren't up until 2-4 a.m., there was so much to miss. On Oahu, there was a lot more to do in the morning (surfing, hiking, etc.), and fewer options at night. My body adjusted within a year or so." —Kevin, 37
Get a wake-up buddy
"It's so important to get on the same schedule as your partner. She would wake me up for breakfast or cuddles early in the morning (regardless of what time I ended up falling asleep), and after a few times of that happening, it's pretty easy to start falling asleep earlier and less painful to wake up early." —Megan, 27
"I convinced my husband that he should get up early too. Since we both had the same goal, we leaned on each other for support." —Lea, 42
Get a pet
"We quickly realized that the quiet beauty we experience on morning walks with our dog gives us peace of mind and clarity of thought to start our day. Also, dogs do not have snooze buttons." —Margeaux, 33
Get a new mattress
"The biggest thing was replacing my mattress and bedding so that the sleep I do get is good, even if there is less of it and my day starts earlier." —Catrina, 33
Use alertness-boosting scents
"I turn on my oil diffuser and add some lemon or eucalyptus to really wake me up." —Jenna, 27
Plan a morning activity you like
"I realized that I would only have 'me' time if I woke up early to run. The run and coffee make my morning fun. I've stopped dreading the alarm clock." —Mary, 31
"I now meditate, which helps me ease into the day. Then I am off to yoga or for a run with my dog." —Erica, 30
"Every time I wake up, I play one of my favorite songs, and I listen to a podcast while I'm washing my face—something that gets me motivated to start the day." —Alex, 21
Commit to something that starts early
"This January, I made a change, signing up for Camp Gladiator boot camp classes at 5:30. So since January 2, I wake up at 4:50 to make a 5:30-6:30 class. It's completely against my nature, but it's been such a radical change that I've really loved it." —Jay, 45
"I switched my Barry's Bootcamp classes to 7:10 a.m. (vs. my standard 6:40 p.m.) and truth be told, turned into a morning person!" —Carolina, 29
If all else fails, shock yourself awake.
"I'd suggest Pavlok if you really have trouble with getting back into bed. It's a wristband that essentially 'shocks' you to help you avoid sleeping in." —Chenell, 29
This story originally appeared on Glamour.
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