There are tons of benefits to waking up early! Many people enjoy waking up early because they know they will be more productive.
Another benefit is the time in the morning you have to yourself. You can take that time and exercise, which will allow you to feel good and clear-minded all day. If you make it a routine to exercise in the morning, you may even start to feel more energetic.
People who wake up earlier also say that they have more time to plan their day. Let’s take a look at how to wake up at 5 AM sharp.
How to Wake Up at 5 AM Sharp (8 Tips)
1. Setting Your Goal
When wanting to wake up at 5 AM, you need to know your intentions. You may want to wake up at this time because you know you will be more productive.
Mornings are great because they are quiet and you do not have to worry about being busy at work or with kids. You can use that time to work on things that you need to get done.
If you wake up at 5 AM every morning, you will learn to align your body clock and your sleeping patterns. Your body will naturally want to wake up early every morning.
You will also have more time to meditate, write in a journal, or work out. Doing these things will allow you to feel more accomplished and happy when you start your day.
Read also: 9 Common Goal-Setting Mistakes You Should Avoid
2. Create a Sleep Schedule
If you want to wake up at 5 AM, you should try to go to sleep around the same time every night. Your body has a natural clock that you want to align with when you wake up.
When you sleep, you allow your body to recharge. Waking up early in the morning will allow you to be more productive.
Decide what time you need to wake up by and count backwards. You should ideally be getting 7–8 hours of sleep each night.
If you need to wake up at 5, try to get into bed by 9 or 10. You should adjust your schedule slowly. You don’t want to go to bed too early because you will feel sluggish all day.
You also don’t want to go to bed too late because you will have trouble sleeping.
Try developing a pre-bedtime routine that you can do each night. For example, you should read a book before you go to sleep.
You want to avoid looking at screens right before you go to bed. Try turning down the lights in your house so you can prepare yourself for sleep.
3. Prepare the Night Before
Planning ahead can help you wake up early in the morning. Prepare your clothes for the next day before you go to bed.
Not only will this save you time in the morning, but you will also be prepared when your alarm goes off. You will not have to waste time thinking about what you want to wear.
Try preparing your breakfast as well. If you know you are going to be rushed in the morning, you’ll want to make sure you have something to eat.
By preparing the night before, you are giving yourself more time to wake up.
Try developing a nighttime routine like mentioned above. This will help you sleep and be prepared for your 5 AM wake-up call.
4. Use Alarm Clocks Wisely
Picking the right alarm clock can help you achieve your goal of waking up at 5 AM. You can find alarm clocks that are analog or digital.
You can even use your phone as an alarm clock these days. When you purchase an alarm clock, you should think about what will work best for you.
Will you need a loud sound? Do you want a bright alarm clock that you can see from anywhere in your room?
Place your alarm clock across your room. You will have to get out of bed to turn it off. When your alarm clock is right next to your bed, you will be tempted to hit snooze.
If you are one to hit the snooze button a lot, buy two alarm clocks. You can have your main alarm clock and then have a backup alarm.
As soon as your first alarm goes off, you can turn off the main one and place yourself on a countdown with your second alarm clock.
Try to find a sound that you like but will not snooze to. Some people like alarms that slowly turn on. You can find alarms that play music or different sounds from nature.
Test out different alarms until you find one that works best for you. You may even want to get an alarm clock that turns on lights.
These alarms will slowly brighten up as you wake up at 5.
5. Have a Morning Routine
Having a morning routine is great because you know you will be doing the same thing every morning. You also want to make sure you are doing things that you enjoy.
Exercise is a great way to jump-start your morning. You will feel better after you work out, and it will kick-start your day.
You’ll want to raise your endorphins in the morning as you start to enjoy waking up at 5.
Reading in the morning can help wake you up. Whether you read a book for fun or read about something you’re interested in, you’ll want to make time to read every morning.
Meditation is something you should try every morning. Take a few minutes to clear your mind and meditate.
You can focus on what you’re grateful for, or you can even do some deep breathing. By meditating every morning, you will feel less stressed about waking up.
6. Stay Motivated and Accountable
Make sure you are setting goals for yourself when you wake up at 5 AM. You may want to wake up early to work out or to read.
Having a goal will allow you to feel accomplished when you wake up. If you have someone that wants to wake up at 5 with you, you should try to do it together.
You can hold each other accountable and check in with each other. You and your friend can discuss what you did when you woke up at 5 and didn’t procrastinate.
Try keeping a journal of your mornings. When you wake up at 5, write down how your day went and how you felt.
After a while, you will be able to look back on your entries and see how waking up at 5 has changed your life. You should celebrate your accomplishments when you wake up at 5 AM.
For example, if you woke up every day at 5 for a whole week, that is something to celebrate. If you were able to complete a task that you set for yourself that morning, celebrate that too.
You should also congratulate yourself for waking up at 5 AM. Keep reading your journal entries as you start to wake up because you will want to remember how difficult it was at first.
7. Tackle Setbacks Head-On
Waking up at 5 AM is hard, and you will face setbacks. You will probably curse yourself for sleeping in one too many times.
Instead of giving up, tell yourself that it’s ok to sleep in once in a while. You will want to think about the big picture and how waking up at 5 will benefit you.
Create a plan if you ever sleep in or don’t wake up at 5. The next day, prepare for your alarm to go off at 5 again.
Remind yourself why you wanted to wake up at 5 in the first place. Think about what you liked about waking up at 5 and how you felt.
Did you stay up too late watching TV? Were you drinking coffee too close to bedtime? Identify what made you sleep in so you can create better habits.
If you have a bad morning, do not sweat it! Get back at it the next day and wake up at 5 on the dot.
You can find apps that will monitor your sleep patterns and help you sleep better at night.
There are many groups online of people that want to wake up at 5 AM as well. You should surround yourself with people that have the same goals as you.
8. Reflect on Your Progress
You should take time to reflect on your new routine of waking up at 5 AM. Think about how waking up at this time has affected your day.
Are you sleeping better? Are you more productive during the day? Think about how you feel emotionally throughout the day.
Once you reflect on these things, you can determine what you want to change. Maybe you think you should go to bed earlier so you’re not tired in the mornings.
You should also think about how great you are doing by waking up at 5 AM! Give yourself praise because waking up early is hard.
If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, maybe you should change your nightly routine.
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