A recent survey found it takes Americans an average of 24 minutes to actually get out of bed - after two alarms and hitting the snooze twice. So how can you wake up better?
There are two types of people: those who jump out of bed in the morning and those who hit the snooze! While it may be tempting to squeeze in a few extra minutes, research shows falling back asleep may do more harm than good.
This type of sleep fragmentation can increase daytime sleepiness and grogginess while decreasing performance.
Try moving your alarm further from your bed so you have to get up to turn it off.
Also, skip the loud alarms and try a soothing sound such as chirping birds or chiming bells.
Another tip: try mimicking your body’s natural signals.
“Perhaps the most important signals are light and dark signals,” explained Dr. Francisco Romo-Nava, a psychiatrist at Linder Center of Hope at the University of Cincinnati.
Raise your shades at night to let in natural light, which cues your brain to wake up. Or purchase a sunrise alarm clock which slowly brightens the room for 15 to 30 minutes before your alarm goes off.
Also, give yourself something to look forward to in the morning. In one survey, 60% of respondents said the key to waking up easier was simply having exciting plans.
Exercise can also help you rest better. In a sleep poll, about 80% of people who exercised reported good sleep quality compared to 56% of those who didn’t exercise.
These are all ways to help you wake up refreshed.
Participants in a survey said they change their alarm times an average of 38 times a year and half of them still wish their parents would wake them up in the morning!