5 Tips for Early Risers

Early bird gets the worm, they say. But early risers have their own set of struggles. What do you do when you wake up when the rest of the world is sleeping? How do you make the most of those sunrises and quiet mornings while the rest of the world slumbers? And how do you get the right quality of sleep when you like getting up early in the mornings?

Benefits of Getting Up Early

There are many benefits to getting up early. 

Being up early means that you have more time to get settled before the work day. This, on average, makes a person more focused at work, less stressed and happier. The quiet time before anyone else is up is helpful to start the day calmly – something that is beneficial for anyone who struggles with anxiety or overthinking. Those that get up early are also more likely to eat breakfast - a key meal that about ¼ of Canadians skip.

These are our top 5 tips for early risers – and those who want to be early risers –  on sleeping well and getting the most of their mornings. 

Tip 1: Compensate Your Bedtime for your Early Rising

Whether you’re already an early riser or if you want to change your routine to become one, the key is getting to bed early enough. We need between 8 - 10 hours of sleep a night so if you’re getting up between 5 - 6 AM, then you should be heading to sleep around 9 or 10 at night.

If you want to be an early riser, you must get to bed early. If you go to bed around 11 or midnight every night and continue to get up early, you can quickly become sleep deprived which can impact a lot in your daily life.

You cannot make up for sleep over a single weekend. Going to bed late and waking up early during the week cannot be compensated for by sleeping 12 hours over the weekend. Sleep routines are essential to quality sleep. So if you want to get up early, head to bed early too. 

Tip 2: Invest in an Eye Mask for Summertime Sleeping

One of the qualities of an early riser is their early sleep schedule. The problem with this in the summer? The sun can still be shining at those times. 

If you are an early riser, invest in quality blinds or a really good eye mask to make the most of your sleep. Sleeping with light can impact how deep you sleep and how much REM you get. It can also impact how quickly you fall asleep. Tossing and turning late into the night is terrible for early mornings. An eye mask can help mask the sunlight and help you fall asleep quicker. 

Tip 3: Create a Morning Routine You Enjoy

One of the best parts of getting up early is that you have quiet time before the rest of the world wakes up. Use this time to create a morning routine that brings you joy. Whether it’s drinking coffee and reading a book, going for a run, stretching or exercising, crafting, playing with your pet or catching up on an episode of your favourite show – do what you love. 

Morning routines set our schedules, can impact our mood for the rest of the day and impact how we feel moving forward. 

Tip 4: If You Don’t Like Waking Up Early, Don’t

Everyone loves the idea of being an early riser but it isn’t for everyone. If you are trying to get yourself into the habit of waking up early but find yourself hating it, think about why you’re making this change. If you wake up early and then are grumpy about it, then you’ll probably be grumpy for the rest of the day. How you wake up is important and so, therefore, is listening to your body. 

Whatever the books and CEOs say about being an early riser, it isn’t for everyone. In fact, for every entrepreneur and influencer that swears by the “5AM club”, there is another widely successful person who doesn’t enjoy early mornings. If Winston Churchill, James Joyce, Pharrell Williams and J.R.R. Tolkein all enjoyed lazy mornings, then you can too. 

You can also find a happy medium and get up early a few days and sleep in a little bit on others. That being said, if you want to get up early and that makes you rock your day then you go get it. Whatever you need to make your mornings happy and joyful – do that. 

Tip 5: Throw Open Those Blinds Right Away

Even if you love getting up early, it can be hard to fight that sluggishness that comes from getting up in the dark. One tip for getting the most of your mornings and waking up is to let the light in as soon as you can. Opening the blinds, sitting outside in the sunshine and letting in some fresh air can help wake you up and chase away the desire to snooze. 

Get The Most Of Your Early Morning

Ready to get the most of your early mornings? Follow these 5 tips and start living your best life as an early riser.