How to Become a Morning Person

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From Snooze-Button Addict to Morning Person
Sizing Up My Zzz's
Resetting My Internal Clock
Creating a Sleep Sanctuary
Bypassing the Snooze Button

Can a night owl become a morning person? Follow our very own staffer as she learns how to sleep better and love waking up in the mornings.

By Bethany Gumper

From Snooze-Button Addict to Morning Person

I have always wanted to be one of those women who jump out of bed and into a pair of running shoes at 7 a.m. What an amazing feeling: to stroll into work after a three-mile jog, a Spinning class, or a series of sun salutations. I wouldn't know.

"Um, really?" my husband asks on Monday night when I tell him I'm going to the gym the next morning at seven. Why the skepticism? He shoots me a knowing look.

Tuesday

7:00 a.m. Alarm blares. Ugh, I should get up.
SNOOZE
7:15 a.m. My gym clothes are right there! I laid them out on my chair last night!
SNOOZE
7:30 a.m. I should at least get up and do a workout DVD.
SNOOZE
7:45 a.m. Too late to work out; might as well cozy up and sleep some more.
SNOOZE
8:00 a.m. Now I have to get up or else I'll be late.

Clearly my morning sluggishness is cramping my workout style. But can I change my night-owl ways? Because I've snoozed through the better part of three decades, I'm pretty sure I'm just inherently lazy. But I'm determined to try, so I call in the troops: the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. After I tell them about my mission to get more out of my mornings, they set me up with my very own sleep guru, Colette Haward, MD, a psychiatrist in New York City. At our first meeting, my future as an early riser looks bright. "There's a genetic component to your circadian clock. But for many people, behavioral changes make a big difference," Dr. Haward says. She tells me that it typically takes a few weeks to get on a better sleep schedule. I'm yawning already.

Next: Sizing Up My Zzz's

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rgoree041 wrote:

I found this article very helpful. I can use these tips to help me wake up at 5:00am, hopefully it will work the same. This article helped me identify why I am so tired and ways I can fix that. THANK YOU!

1/30/2013 09:59:13 PM Report Abuse

debbiemessmer wrote:

Really 7am..... be realistic..more like 5 or 5:30 am.

10/9/2012 12:31:04 PM Report Abuse

katymatos85 wrote:

Cont... I am usually able to carry a conversation after 2 hrs from the time I got out of the bed. Plus, as I am getting older its getting worst. I have dark circles and my eyes are puff. I love sleeping, I dont consider myself lazy, I work full time, go to school full time and arrange time to work out. However, I love to do all this stuff at night, when I have much more energy. I do want to change... and this article is just what I needed to begin with... Thanks!

2/22/2012 08:20:34 AM Report Abuse

abelinamadrigal wrote:

I LOVE THIS ARTICLE!.. I thought I was the only lazy, snooze freak in the world. I definetley going to try it because I am tired of feeling tired. change is not easy and if your not 100% sure you want to change, you will fail.

1/13/2012 05:18:13 PM Report Abuse

blooberrie wrote:

I agree with a lot of other comments - I am already at work at 7! Please can there be some suggestions for people who already get up early. It is not viable for most people to get up at 4.30am just to exercise!

11/26/2011 01:44:58 PM Report Abuse