Before you embark on training yourself to get by with less sleep, it is important you recognize that this does not mean starving yourself of sleep. Rather, it implies setting up a sleep rhythm that ensures you get the quality of sleep your body requires to recover from stress and strain. As you train yourself into a natural sleep pattern, you will find that you don't need longer hours in bed to feel rested. As with all change, modifying your sleep habits requires time. Taking regular steps and a disciplined approach will help you achieve this goal.
Instructions
1. Sleep for a period that is sufficient to meet your body's requirements. Go to bed every night only when you feel sleepy, but set an alarm to wake up at the same time every morning, regardless of the amount you slept the previous night. In the event that you get less sleep one night, you will feel sleepy earlier the next night. When you heed this signal and sleep earlier, your body will compensate for the previous night's loss. Follow this pattern regularly on all days, including the weekends, to make your sleep time settle into an automatic, natural rhythm.
2. Discipline yourself to stick to the schedule you create. Do what it takes to ensure you go to bed when you are sleepy: give up the temptation to watch late-night TV, or cut your Internet browsing time to be ready for bed when you begin feeling sleepy.
3. Wake up as soon as the alarm goes off, without lolling in bed making up reasons for why you absolutely need another five minutes of sleep. Leo Babauta, creator of Zen Habits and author of "The Power of Less" says that to really wake up, you should place the alarm clock far enough to require you to physically get out of bed to turn it off.
4. Get exposure to sunlight by opening the window blinds and take a 30-minute walk in the early morning sunlight. According to Mehdi, a natural strength trainer and founder of StrongLifts, this will stimulate the body's production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, and leave you feeling more energetic and alert.
5. Give yourself a compelling reason to wake up early. Prepare a time table that includes doing some activity that you consider important, during the early morning hours. For this to work, the activity has to be something about which you are passionate. For example, an early morning jog will be motivation to wake up only if you are a fitness enthusiast; if you cringe from physical exercise, it's likely you will fall back into bed.
Tags: early morning, your body, feel sleepy, less sleep, previous night
