This post is for the mama’s whose kiddos have granted them the gift of sleeping through the night. My 2-year-old son has given us this gift which has allowed me to focus more on my own internal body clock and enjoy some “me time” in the early morning hours before everybody else wakes up. I’m soaking in every last bit of this time before my second child decides to make his or her debut which could be any day now… Since then I’ll be thrown back into survival mode!
Over the last month, I’ve learned a lot about our body’s natural circadian rhythm. This is a 24-hour internal body clock that most of our bodies mental, physical and behavioral cycles naturally align to based on our exposure to light. If you haven’t heard of this before, I encourage you to take time to read more about it! It’s been fascinating. Since I’ve started following my body’s natural circadian rhythm more closely, I’ve been able to achieve some great benefits including the ability to wake up consistently at the same time each morning without setting an alarm.
Setting an alarm is sometimes inevitable, of course, but it can quite literally be alarming to our bodies. It jolts us awake at a specific time, regardless of what state our bodies are in which largely determines how we actually feel when we wake up. So, if you can manage to wake up without one you will likely have more days where you feel at your best waking up vs feeling at your worst.
Here are a couple of things you can start doing today:
Go to bed at the same time each night: It’s tempting to scroll on your phone for hours but the more consistent you can be with your sleep schedule starting at night, the better off you will be in the mornings. Aim for going to sleep no later than 11pm to make sure you are getting at least 7-8 hours every night.
Reduce your screen time before bed: Our circadian rhythm is largely defined by our exposure to light so, if you are exposing your body to light after the sun goes down, you are disrupting your body’s natural rhythm and potentially communicating something entirely different. Try to limit screen time at least 1 hour before bed.
Increase your exposure to sunlight during the day: Most of us spend more time indoors than we naturally should. Even little things like enjoying your morning cup of coffee outside can make a big different in supporting your body’s natural clock. If you can’t make it outside, sitting near a window can help too.
If you start to incorporate these into your daily schedule, you will see a difference. I certainly have! Had you heard about the circadian rhythm before? What other tips do you have to wake up without an alarm?