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By: Camila Almeida, CHAMP Staff*
Life’s better when I can stay up late and sleep past 0800. I wake up without an alarm, feel alert from the time I open my eyes, and have sustained energy levels throughout the day. I only wish I could consistently keep this schedule. But family and work responsibilities aren’t compatible with what would be an ideal routine. So I need to adapt.
Our genes determine our natural preference for waking up early in the morning (early bird) or staying up late at night (night owl). Service Members usually start their days very early in the morning, but not everyone self-identifies as an early bird. Studies show that some Service Members self-identify as night owls. In addition, results show that this trait can have a negative impact on readiness and performance.
Luckily, night owls (like me) aren't doomed for failure in an early-bird world. Instead, we can build habits that help shift our internal clock and support our performance during the early morning hours. Keep reading to learn more about my tips to wake up early and perform well despite being a night owl.
Make sleep a priority
Regardless of wake-up time, we all need 7–9 hours of sleep every 24 hours. It's impossible to feel well-rested and energized at 0500 if I don't go to bed until midnight. And I know how challenging it is for a night owl to be in bed around 2100 or 2200. Sometimes I spend the entire day feeling tired and sleepy, but get a boost of energy around 2000 and feel it's time to compensate for the unproductive day. I resist and don't give in to the temptation of pulling an all-nighter. Otherwise, I’ll simply reinforce the cycle of hitting snooze a few times, waking up later than I wanted or needed, feeling sluggish throughout the day, and staying up late to try to get more things done. My personal rule is to stop activities around 2000 no matter how unproductive my day was. This way, I make sleep a priority and commit to allowing 7–9 hours for optimal rest and recovery. I also engage in relaxing activities before bedtime and use mindfulness meditation or progressive muscle relaxation to quiet my mind and body.
Start your day with sunlight
I tend to feel groggy and disoriented at 0500 no matter how long I’ve slept—my brain just doesn't want to function at this time. I need to be intentional about letting my body know that it's time to wake up, and viewing sunlight is a great way to do so. Natural light is the most powerful cue our brains can use to tell night from day. When bright light enters through our eyes, the center that regulates our internal clock suppresses sleep and turns on body functions that support physical and mental performance throughout the day. During spring and summer months, I like to step outside for about 15 minutes and allow the sunlight to tell my brain that it's time to wake up and be alert. Since the sun isn't out until after 0700 during fall and winter, I invested in a 10,000-lux lightbox to get those light-awakening benefits all year long.
It's impossible to sustain performance if you don't get adequate sleep regularly. Regardless of wake-up time, we all need 7–9 hours of sleep every 24 hours.
Exercise in the morning
Getting your heart pumping right after waking up is another excellent way to energize your brain. Personally, I don't feel like doing a high-intensity activity first thing, but a brisk walk in the morning sunshine takes my alertness to another level. Indeed, any type of activity in the morning can help shift your internal clock to an earlier wake-up time regardless of whether you’re outdoors. You don’t need to combine light and physical activity. If you enjoy resistance training indoors, you can do it first thing in the morning and still reap the exercise-induced benefits of increased alertness and energy.
Get a caffeine boost
Caffeine in moderation (200 mg) can reduce sleepiness and increase physical and mental performance. More good news! That coffee or tea you drink in the morning won't affect your ability to fall asleep 10–16 hours later. Try to stay below 400 mg of caffeine a day and stop caffeine consumption within 6–8 hours of bedtime. If you don't know what 200 mg of caffeine looks like, check out HPRC's infographic about caffeine.
Be consistent
As night owls who want and need to thrive in an early-bird world, we’re trying to build habits that will help adjust our internal clock to an early wake-up time and support our performance throughout the day. And as with any habit, consistency is key. The more we do things in a particular way, the easier and more natural it will feel to keep doing it. But having a consistent wake-up time (even on weekends, holidays, and vacations) is the one piece of advice I could use more often. As a typical night owl, I’m tempted to stay up past my regular bedtime when I know I can sleep in the next day. Full disclosure: I enjoy those opportunities with moderation. I found that, for me, staying within 2 hours of my regular bed and wake-up times has minimal impact on my weekly schedule. It's important, though, to avoid drastic changes to your sleep schedule on weekends and holidays, or the following Monday will be one of those (terrible) days.
These tips help me wake up at an earlier time, be alert, and stay productive. Remember, it's impossible to sustain performance if you don't get adequate sleep regularly. Sleep impacts our performance across all Total Force Fitness domains—physical, mental, social, nutritional, spiritual, medical, and financial fitness. Nothing can substitute enough snooze time, and we just can't offset the negative effects of sleep deprivation.
For more tips and resources to optimize your sleep readiness, check out HPRC's sleep hygiene self-check and sleep diary.
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