Let me introduce myself, I’m the night owl in the lobby or the crazy girl in the gym at 2am. There are some benefits of being a late do-er; the gym is empty (all the equipment is mine!) and I get to relax and do wash without a person taking my clothes out and putting them on the ground. But to every up, there is a down; I sleep late and cannot fall asleep before 3am. These routines don’t seem harmful to my health for the short term but in the end, they do take their tolls. Studies show that the “night owl” seems to run into certain problems such as tiredness (duh), stress, lagging schedule, weak memory, obesity, delayed healing, AND your skin loses that beautiful glow!
Even knowing the facts, I still stay up to all hours of the night like most college students. The stigma of a being a good college student always seems to go hand in hand with staying up late in the library until it closes or sipping on that Starbucks coffee early in the morning to get through the day. However, the idea of a good college student needs to change if this is what it requires. Sure, we should study but in small doses over the week and we should be getting to bed before 1am if we plan to be of any value the next day.
As much as I hate to admit it, I am definitely not a morning person. I arranged my schedule so I wouldn’t have a class until 12pm and I burrow in my pillows when my roommate wakes up for her 10am class. I think it is safe to say that I’m not alone in these habits. Many of us have a love-hate relationship with the morning but we need to start making it a love-love (or at least a love-like) relationship if we want to improve our grades, be awake during the day, and become an overall healthier and happier person.
Simple ways to turn yourself into a morning bird:
1) Put your alarm clock in a place where you will need to turn it off: As old as this idea is, it works! So, stick the alarm clock in the far corner with a red bull next to it and get up!
2) Set two or three alarm clocks:Place a few different alarm clocks around the room or just set your phone alarm to go off every 15 minutes. When I have class at 12pm, I start setting my alarm clocks for every 15 minutes starting at 10am just to make sure I get up in time.
3) Set the alarm on your computer to play music:Almost every computer has an alarm clock, so set up the alarm to play your favorite song, so you will wake up and be in a happy mood.
4) Set your clothes or stuff out the night before:Pick out you clothes for the next day at night and pack away your books in your backpack. These are great ways to cut down the number of chores you have to do in the morning and allow you to sleep longer! It also will prevent you from rushing and starting your day off stressed!
5)Program your coffee maker:Even though most dorms do not allow a coffee maker, many off campus residents do have one. Set it so the smell and caffeine will drag you out the bed.
6) Open a window to let cool, fresh air in:The cold air sends a shock to your system and fresh air down your lungs. Living in Pittsburgh, cold air is never hard to come by!
7) Exercise:Not only does exercise get your blood flowing and raise your core temperature but it gets you as far away from your bed or couch where the temptation to fall asleep can be difficult to resist.
So, next time you think about drinking that coffee at 10pm, think again and join the movement to love the morning.