Are you dependent on an alarm clock to wake up in the morning? You are not alone. I was very dependent on an alarm clock, too. Waking up on time can be one of the most challenging things to achieve in the world. I have discovered though that we can train ourselves on how to wake up without alarm.
Why you may ask should you learn to wake up without setting up an alarm clock when you have been doing so most of your life? You may not have realised it, but we usually have two kinds of mornings.
On some mornings, you are abruptly wake up from the loud sound of your alarm clock. In this situation, you are forced to get out of bed, still groggy, to get ready for the day. In these mornings too, it is always your wish to be able to have more time to get back to bed.
On some mornings, you wake up naturally on your own a few minutes before the alarm goes off. It is on these mornings when you feel alert and well-rested to face the day ahead. Wouldn’t it be great to learn how to wake up early and not feel tired even if you have no alarm?
Many people have been successful in training not to be dependent on the alarm to wake up in the morning. It takes a lot of practice and patience, but it is achievable.
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Method 1: Circadian Rhythm Training
The circadian rhythm is the 24-hour internal clock that runs within your brain. It is responsible for creating your sleep and alert cycles at regular intervals. In short, it is what keeps you sleepy or alert at certain hours of the day. It is vital that you know how to use the natural circadian rhythm of your body to your benefit.
When you are forced to wake by the sound of an alarm, you will feel dazed or groggy because your body is not yet ready to rise. On the contrary, if you naturally awaken through your circadian rhythm, you will be alert because your body is prepared.
- 1Create a consistent Circadian Rhythm. Try to sleep at the same time every night.
- 2Tell yourself the exact time you need to get out of bed in the morning. This may be unbelievable at first, but you can actually train your body to do so.
- 3Determine how much sleep is enough sleep for you. Most people require nine hours while some need less)
- 4- Determine what time you need to sleep to achieve waking up at your desired time. If you need to wake up at 8 am and enough sleep for you is 9 hours, then you need to be sleeping by 11 pm.
- If you are used to sleeping at 12 am, on the first week move it to 11:45 pm, then 11:30 on the next week and 11:15 on the third week. This will allow your body to transition easily and adjust to your new sleeping schedule. This will also help you sleep faster. - 5Create a bedtime ritual. Take a warm bath, do some stretching exercise, relax, read a book, dim the lights and turn off all electronic gadgets.
- 6Set the alarm just like you normally do for back-up while you are transitioning to waking up with no alarm. This is so that you will not be kept awake worrying that you may oversleep.
Remember though that for the circadian rhythm training to work, you need to get the right amount of sleep. If you are always exhausted at night, it won’t work.
Method 2: Trusting your Body
It is not the number of hours of sleep that is important; rather it is having enough sleep. Trust your body to tell you what time to sleep when you need to wake up at a certain time.
- 1- Know when to sleep and when to wake up. The National Sleep Foundation says that individuals between 18 to 64 years of age need between 6 to 10 hours of sleep every night. It may be different for everyone.
- The best way to determine how many hours of sleep feels enough is gauging how you feel when waking up. Then you will know where your body is on the “sleep needs spectrum”. - 2Adjust when to sleep. As you decide what time you want to wake up and how much sleep is enough for you, do the math and determine what time you need to sleep. You will only be able to wake up on time if you sleep on time.
- 3Motivate yourself to sleep at the exact time. Think about what time you want to wake up. It is not only about awakening at the right time, but also feeling good and not feeling tired.
- 4Trust your body when waking up. After determining your sleeping and waking hours, ask yourself how you feel when you woke up. Do you feel well rested? Do you feel tired? Your answer will tell you whether or not you need to adjust your time to sleep.
- 5Be consistent. The key to training your body to wake up without an alarm is consistency. Your body reacts accordingly to anything you consistently do because it reacts well to a habit. If you train your body to sleep and awaken at exact times, it will do just that.
Being consistent is easier said than done. While it is your goal to be consistent, you will also need to be flexible at times. Do not be too hard on yourself because this may cause you not to achieve your goal. Be alarm-free for 90% instead of forcing to be 100% without setting the alarm. Keep the alarm away from you while you are sleeping and with the lowest sound possible.
Method 3: Tricking your Sleepy Mind
Waking up with no alarm brings a lot of benefits but entails a lot of discipline, too. It will not come overnight. Training your body takes some time. Training your body on how to wake up without alarm does not only entail preparing your body. It also entails tricking your sleepy mind.
- 1Have the proper mindset. Remind yourself that it is better to wake up naturally than to wake up haggardly to the sound of an alarm.
- 2- Get yourself excited for the day ahead. Most people are so used to waking up to the sound of an alarm, they do not realise that they will feel much better if they wake up naturally.
- Meticulously plan what you are going to do first the following morning. It should be something you often do not have time to do in the day. This will be your reward for doing well in training your body not to be dependent on the alarm to wake up. - 3- Be committed. Working on waking up with no alarm is no easy task. Find a buddy who is as committed as you are on this goal. You can share notes on how you are going. You will also be motivating each other to keep on going.
- Being committed also entails preceding some habits that you have been used to. If you are used to scrolling your phone being sleeping, let go of this routine. The light emitted by your phone will cause you to be more awake instead of sleepy. - 4Make sure you sleep well. This does not only mean getting rid of disturbances in your sleep. It also means paying close attention to what you eat and getting some exercise. Being fit impacts to a large extent sleeping habit about energy levels.
Working on waking up without setting the alarm involves both your physical and mental faculties. When you condition your mind that you need to sleep and wake up at an exact time, you will. If you condition your mind that you need to wake up without alarm, your mind will send the message to your body.
Method 4: Establish a Habit
The studies say it takes 66 days for the average to develop a habit. Developing a habit is a slow transition. Your body will eventually anticipate waking up without alarm as your body clock gets accustomed to your new habit.
- 1- Heed to your circadian rhythm. Timing and consistency go hand in hand when you are working on how to wake up without alarm. Your circadian rhythm works on a certain cycle to make sure you get the best sleep.
- Your body has an established sleep pattern. Heeding to this sleep pattern will make you develop the habit of waking up without alarm. - 2Develop morning rituals. Creative and exciting morning rituals will get you excited to wake up in the morning.
- 3Develop healthy habits. A proper diet, exercise will allow you to have good quality sleep. Being stress-free or keeping it to a minimum is also important because the stress hormone, cortisol, when released, will keep you alert and awake no matter how sleepy or tired you are.
- 4Open your blinds. Light has a crucial role in your circadian rhythm. Waking up with the sun striking your face is one of the most natural instinct. Leaving your blinds open and allowing the sun to enter your room will make you wake up even without the alarm.
- 5- Always be consistent. Anything you do on a regular basis is habit-forming. Repetition automatically allows the brain to connect. When you allow your body to make the motions on a regular basis, it will become second nature and your body will naturally do it.
- Choosing to wake-up with no alarm and making the right motions consistently every single day even on weekends will keep the internal sleep clock of your body on track.
- Going to bed at exactly the same time every night will eventually be second nature. Waking up at an exact time without the alarm every morning will, overtime be second nature, too.
- You should also train your body on how to avoid oversleeping, even if you went out the night before. It will keep your internal clock out of track, and this can be worse than not getting enough sleep.
While you are in the process of developing the habit of waking up without alarm, have a backup plan. Have your alarm at a distance and perhaps you can use some devices which can help you wake-up naturally.
Conclusion
It is possible to train our body to wake up without alarm until it becomes a habit and comes naturally. There is nothing more relaxing than waking up on your feeling refreshed and ready to face the day excited and revitalised.
I hope this article will be able to help wean yourself out of being too dependent on the alarm to wake up. Share it with your family and friends so they also can enjoy getting enough sleep and learn how to wake up without alarm.
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My name is Layla Parker, the founder of ASleepyWolf.com. At this site, our team is going to bring you a lot of reliable and useful information about sleeping and everything related to it such as the therapies that improve your sleep, the ways of sleeping you should try, all the products you use every day that affects directly to your sleep, your health, and your life.