Let’s be honest, waking up bright and early is not the most fun thing in the world, especially when you’re in college. Late nights studying, doing homework and juggling work, sports and other extracurricular activities can all become draining very quickly. In order to be productive in all of these areas, an average of 7-8 hours of sleep every night is crucial for everyone. Here’s just a few tips on how to make getting up in the morning a little bit easier…
1. Make a Schedule
It is much easier to tackle your daily responsibilities and obligations when you plan out when you are going to do each task. Every night before going to bed or even once a week, plan out what you have to do. By doing this, you become less forgetful and you will be able to get more accomplished.
2. Set out your materials and clothing the night before
Take a few minutes before you go to bed every night and pick out what you want to wear the next day, put your textbooks, notebooks, folders, etc. in your backpack, and gather what you need for practice and/or work. If you plan ahead, you can even let yourself sleep a little longer!
3. DO NOT hit snooze
Okay, everyone has the habit of doing this at least once in a while. One popular belief is that if you hit snooze a couple of times, you will get a few extra minutes of quality sleep. Turns out, the more you hit snooze, you are more likely to feel exhausted and you are more likely to drag through the day.
4. Sleep with the curtains open
If you have to get up close to sunrise, leave your curtains open just a little bit to allow the sun to shine through in the morning. Instead of waking up to a loud alarm, as the sun rises, the natural light can be a resource tool to wake you up gradually.
5. Eat breakfast
Once your finally out of bed, one way to insure that you will acquire the energy for your day is through eating what is known as the most important meal of the day. Whether it’s something big or small, breakfast can make a dramatic change in your daily routine.