With the help of a therapist, author of books Andrei Zvonkov, we figure out how to feel energetic and rested the next morning.
April 14 2017
The life of most of us is arranged in such a way that we are forced to wake up at dawn and go to work. Household chores take so much time that few manage to fall asleep before midnight. Those who feel great in such a rhythm – full of enthusiasm in the morning, and at sunset are ready to leave for Morpheus’s arms, are called larks. According to statistics, there are only about 15-20% of them in the world, but they have subordinated the daily routine of all mankind. Owls, who peak in the evening, can only complain about their fate and drink coffee.
But there is good news as well. The division into larks, owls and pigeons (intermediate type, can work at any time, depending on the circumstances) in the generally accepted sense is rather arbitrary. Genetic owls – those whose biological rhythm has shifted due to changes in genes, are very few, about 5%. They physically cannot wake up and go to bed earlier, turning into larks is dangerous to health and is possible only under the supervision of doctors. The rest have become victims of a habit that can be changed.
Strictly on schedule
You will not be able to enter the new mode in a week. First, if you forcibly lift yourself out of bed, you can earn stress, chronic fatigue syndrome, or even hypertension. Get used to the new routine gradually and expect it to take two to three months. Try to fall asleep and wake up at about the same time, even on weekends, without discipline. When you enter the mode, you can gradually switch to an earlier awakening – once a week set the alarm clock 15 minutes earlier. After a few months, your internal clock will readjust and you will be able to wake up on your own. By the way, from midnight to 5 in the morning, hormones are produced that are responsible for youth, beauty and health, and sleep at this time is very useful.
Fall asleep and wake up
An organism accustomed to the owl regime may rebel and will not want to fall asleep earlier. Get ready for bed with a walk, a warm, relaxing bath, and airing your room. Try not to watch TV and forget about gadgets, they make the brain aroused, which affects the quality of sleep. Better to read a book or chat with your family.
Get up in the morning as soon as the alarm rings. Ventilate the room, do exercises (push-ups are not necessary, just warm up well) – blood circulation will accelerate, you will feel more invigorated.
No stress
Set the alarm clock to a melody to which it is pleasant to wake up, and start the day with little joys – eat your favorite cake for breakfast, lie in the bath. To have enough time for this, prepare everything you need in the evening – shoes, clothes, a bag. Our biorhythms depend on the season. In winter and autumn, daylight hours are shorter, we need more sleep. And in spring and summer, the transition from an owl to a lark will be much easier.