9 Not So Obvious Reasons Why Waking Up Early Is A Great Idea

Jun 22, 2018 by apost team

While we may not all be natural morning birds, waking up earlier can have many positive effects on your life.

Here are a few ways of being an early riser can make your life better:

Our natural circadian rhythm works best when our sleep schedule aligns with daylight. Our bodies want us to be awake when the sun is out. Therefore, when you adjust your sleep schedule to wake up with the sun, it can actually be easier to get up. Instead of using blackout curtains and an alarm, let the sun in and start your day naturally.

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Because you will be working with your circadian rhythm, you will have more energy during the day. This can help you be more productive. We all know that we work more effectively and learn new things better when we are awake. Yet, we often will try to sleep in as long as possible before we go to work. This can be counterproductive, because our bodies and minds need time to wake up. Therefore, getting up earlier and letting yourself slowly wake up in the morning can make you more awake than if you get up and rush out the door.

Being an early riser can actually improve our mental health. Psychiatrists and therapists often advise waking up earlier as a helpful, natural tool to improve mental wellness. A recent study found evidence that women who tended to wake up earlier for morning shifts were less likely to experience long-term depression.

Additionally, when you start your day earlier, you will get things done earlier in the day. Regardless of whether you struggle with chronic anxiety and depression, feeling like you are racing to get through your to-do list is a common stressor for all of us, a stressor that simply waking up earlier can help.

Waking up early can help you combat bad habits. Whether you are trying to drink less or trying to stop wasting hours binge-watching your favorite show, waking up earlier can help. We tend to more easily succumb to our vices at night. When you wake up early, you will have less energy by the end of the day, so these vices will seem less appealing. Additionally, making a drastic change to your daily schedule can be the shake up that your mind needs to kick a bad habit!

Even if you start your day with a cold shower and a hot cup of coffee, it can be difficult waking up fully by the time you're heading out of the door. This sleep inertia lasts for about 2-4 hours, so waking up early would give your memory, attention, and reactions more time to accelerate. 

Studies have shown that those who wake up early get better quality sleep than those who snooze a bit longer. Those who like to sleep longer are more likely to have a sleep disorder, and staying in bed longer doesn't mean that you're getting more quality rest. 

Constantly hitting snooze on the alarm clock does damage to your metabolism, which could lead to obesity. Instead of sleeping that extra 5 minutes next time, try your best to get out of bed and do some quick stretches to get your body moving! 

Studies have shown that people tend to procrastinate the things they need to do until the evening. People who wake up early spend their mornings accomplishing their tasks for the day so the evenings can be reserved for sleep.

Early risers receive better results while studying. Scientists discovered that waking up earlier makes it easier for you to get to school or work on time, and your brain is already alert and ready to learn.

We here at APost believe waking up earlier is the ultimate way to increase your productivity and maintain a healthy lifestyle. For such a small change in your life, waking up early can make a huge difference. Do you have any simple tricks that have drastically improved your life? Pass this article along and let us know your thoughts!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!