Waking up Early is All About Waking up to an Alarm

I have always been the 'early to bed' type of person, and my day mostly ends by nine-thirty in the evening.

But the 'waking up early' part was not as 'strict' as the going to sleep part.

I have always struggled to wake up at the alarm sound, which I always set without fail. It was either me hitting the dismiss button or it going completely unheard, only to be reminded about it at breakfast by my wife.

I have noticed that it's not that waking up in the morning that is the problem. Waking up from bed at any time of the day is a problem, and we all tend to lie down for a few more minutes.

Below are some of the strategies that help me wake up at 4 am every day, including weekends.

Ok, most of the days, every day 😀

1. Plan: Plan your activities to be done after waking up, before going to sleep the day before. 'Not having anything to do' is one of the main reasons that keeps us from waking up. So plan ahead for it and find activities like reading, writing, working out, or anything you like. But have a plan!
2. Jump out: Don't let your brain rationalize your plan at the sound of the alarm. The decision to wake up has already been made the night before, and you have a plan, so jump out of bed. The more you think, the more likely it is to doze off.
3. Multiple alarms: At the early stages of trying this out, you can set multiple alarms at very close intervals, as close as one or two minutes. Have a couple at one, two, five, or ten-minute intervals. (If somebody else shares the room with you, make sure they don't mind this for a couple of days till you find the rhythm.)
4. Alarm tone: Change the alarm tone frequently so your brain does not get used to it and ignore it altogether. You could also try having the same tone as your phone ringer, making you think you have a call and wake up immediately.
5. Early dinner: Eat at least two to three hours before you sleep. Going to sleep with a full stomach makes you more tired in the morning and increases the chances of you having to hit the snooze button.
6. Daily alarms: Set your alarm daily and delete all the recurrent alarms for the entire week. This would ensure you plan for your day when setting the alarm. No plan, No alarm!
7. Sleep Cycle: Over time, listen to your body, understand how much sleep you require, and adjust your timings accordingly. Too little or too much sleep is bad.
8. Smart Alarms: There are mobile applications today that come up with puzzle based alarms, you would have to solve the puzzle to turn of the alarm. You could try one of those if needed(I haven't used any).

These tips have helped me wake up to an alarm and be an early riser.

The feeling of starting the day as you wished for is great and stays throughout the day, helping you to do more and stay organized.

I hope you find this useful, and do let me know if any other tricks have helped you wake up to an alarm.