Waking up at 5 AM is easy
I've been waking up at 5 AM daily for over a year. Here's the list of the 17 scientific tricks to increase your quality of sleep, even if you don't want to wake up this early.
So what do you do?
1
Don't try to rebuild your body overnight
It's better to take it slow and wake up 10 minutes earlier every day. Slow progress will get you there, rapid change in behaviour never settles.
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2
Go to bed 8 hours before you want to wake up
But no earlier than 14 hours after you woke up today. You have to give the body enough time to sleep and you have to be tired enough.
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3
Turn on the blue light filter 1-2 hours before bed
But try to be exposed to the blue light as much as possible during the daytime. Blue light regulates the melatonin levels.
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4
Turn on the black and white filter before bed
"Bedtime mode" on Android, "Color Filters" on iOS. Surfing memes in black and white isn't as pleasant, and your brain stops craving it before bed.
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5
Take a hot shower before going to bed
Expanding the capillaries will help to cool down your body before going to sleep.
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6
Cooldown the room to 17°-18° C before sleep
it is easier to fall asleep in a cold room. You can air the room before going to bed.
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7
Warm up the room to ~22° C before waking up
it is easier to wake up in a warm room. You can start the heater on the lowest setting after airing the room.
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8
Turn on the lights to 100% 30 minutes before waking up
Buy a cheap smart lightbulb and expose yourselves to the brightest light before you wake up automatically.
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9
Sleep in darkness and silence
No TV, music or podcasts. Dim the lights to 10% 1-2 hours before bed.
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10
Do not drink caffeine in the afternoon
Caffeine is half as potent 8 hours after consumption. This includes soda and tea.
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11
Get a simple sleep tracker
Try mobile apps and fitness bands. Track the relative progress of sleep improvement.
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12
Play with the pillow height
Some heights can decrease snoring and improve sleep quality.
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13
Don't consume calories 3 hours before bed
It includes any amount of calories, even a small nut or a glass of milk. Anything with sugar as well.
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14
Do not exercise 2-3 hours before bed
This can increase cortisol levels.
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15
Do not spend time in bed if you cannot sleep
The more you do this, the harder it will be for you to fall asleep. If you can't sleep, get up and do something productive.
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16
Forget about the snooze button and setting multiple alarms
Every time you wake up with an alarm clock, there is a peak load on your cardiovascular system. Don't overload.
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17
Don't drink alcohol in the afternoon
If you have to drink, drink before noon to get sober by 9 PM. Alcohol kills good sleep.
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This page is inspired by this blog post. Oh, and it is open-source.