Published on:14 April 2020, 13:39pm IST

They say, the early bird catches the worm. And well, several studies including the one conducted at the University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany, validate this belief and claim that morning people are more likely to be successful.

However, our “hip and happening’ lifestyles with all the partying, boozing,  late-night phone conversations, Netflix-and-chill sessions, and all-nighters for PPTs—have collectively faded this life lesson from our memories and turned us into night owls. 

If this realisation and the utter frustration of leading a life that starts at noon is making you want to transform yourself back into an early bird, here’s help:

1. Don’t stress, just reset
Perhaps sleeping at 2 am is what makes you feel like waking up at the crack of dawn will leave you exhausted and sluggish the whole day. Stop fretting over it, ladies. The only thing you’ve got to be particular about is your wake-up time—not your bedtime.

Because if you sleep late and wake up early, you will automatically get tired during the day, sleep on time the next night, and wake up on time feeling fresh as a daisy the next morning.

2. Track your sleep
Rapid eye movement (REM) cycle starts approximately an hour after you doze off and in this cycle, you tend to get into your sleepiest, dreamiest best for around 10 minutes in the first round. This time period of deep sleep keeps increasing in the subsequent cycles and can go upto 70-90 minutes. Now, the best time to wake up is at the initial stage of a REM cycle.

Otherwise, if you’re woken up by an alarm or any other disturbance during the deep-sleep time, you’re likely to wake up feeling groggy. So, if you really want to wake up feeling fresh, you can try tracking your sleep cycle with the help of an app, which can figure out your REM and wake you up accordingly.

3. Say no to snoozing
Putting off your alarm to get an extra five minutes of sleep, which tends to turn into an hour somehow isn’t an alien concept. Hence, setting a calming alarm without the snooze option and not letting your sleepy mind make the bad decision of extending your cozy bedtime can be your best bet if you genuinely want to turn into a morning person. Try it to believe it.

4. Stay away from your phone an hour before bedtime
Of course, screen time can wreak havoc on your eyesight, but think about the anxiety browsing through social media can induce before you hit your bed. Well, several studies have brought this matter to light and have emphasised on how this stress and anxiety can hamper your sleep and keep you from waking up fresh in the morning as well.

5. Let the light come in
Opening your windows or balcony door and letting the sunlight in won’t just expose you to some much-needed fresh air, but can also help you wake up on time. Try it! It’s a scientifically proven way to get your lazy ass out of the bed.

6. Get into the groove
Once you’re used to sleeping and waking up at a particular time, you will end up becoming the morning person that you so want to be RN because your body will get habitual to a specific wake-up time.