Expert reveals how to turn yourself into a morning person (and why you should)
‘Night people’ tend not to be great fans of anyone who can bounce out of bed before the sun’s up - and get things done.
But can you turn yourself into a ‘morning person’ through sheer force of will power?
Yes, says positive habit change expert Andy Ramage, founder of One Year No Beer - who decided to wake up every day at 5am, and says it has revolutionised his life.
Ex-footballer Ramage says, ‘This has to be one of the most productive habits you can possibly create. Just imagine what you could do with 1, 2 or even three hours uninterrupted time every day.’
‘As someone who is involved in large scale habit change the most common complaint I hear is that, “I don’t have the time to exercise, study, meditate,” and this one habit provides the extra time to do all three and more. It’s a no brainer.’
Ramage recently co-hosted a podcast with early morning guru Jeff Saunders author of the 5 am Miracle - where the two explain the benefits of getting up at a time most of us rarely see.
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There are plenty of scientific reasons you might want to ‘turn yourself’ into a morning person.
A study based on data from gene-testing company 23andMe found that ‘night owls’ tend to be more overweight, and unhappier.
Experts advise cutting out screen time late at night, avoiding alcohol and avoiding late-night meals.
It’ll take a week to adjust
Ramage says that it took him a few attempts to get it right - but you can adjust to a 5am start within a week.
Ramage says, ‘I tried a few times and made the mistake to trying to beat the sandman, but once I understood it only works with the right amount of sleep it happened quickly. Within a week my body had adjusted and this is a practice I continue to this day.
If you go out late, don’t force yourself to get up
If you have one late night out, don’t despair - just write off the next morning and go back your 5am routine the next day, Ramage advises.
‘If you end up on a night out, don’t try and force it through just aim for your 7 hours sleep and take the morning off. Then get back into your routine the day after.
Quit your other bad habits
Ramage is co-founder of One Year No Beer - a challenge where people give up alcohol for an entire year.
He says that people doing One Year No Beer often find they have the energy to get up earlier - and are grateful for the extra time.
Ramage says, ‘One of the best ways to make this wonderful habit stick is to give up alcohol. Within the OneYearNoBeer community we have set up a separate group for all the earlier risers because its one of the great benefits of being alcohol free.’
Sorry, but you’re going to have to go to bed earlier
No bones about it, you are going to have to go to bed earlier if you want to become a morning person.
Ramage says, ‘It’s easy once you know how. At first I made the mistake of thinking I could keep my normal routine and just force through a 5 am start. Within one week I was burnt out.
‘The first thing to do is work out how much sleep you need. If that’s 7 hours then you need to plan your week around this. For example go to bed at 10 pm in order to wake at 5 am.’
Make sure your partner is on side
You will not be able to make such a radical change without clearing it with whoever you sleep with.
Ramage says, ‘The first thing I had to do was clear it with my wife. There is no point trying to introduce a new habit such as this without your partner’s buy in.
‘To make this work you will need to get the required sleep so the only way to do this is to go to sleep a little earlier. If you partner wants to stay up until 12 and you are trying to sleep at 10pm it’s not going to work.’
The benefits will give you motivation to keep going
Once you start getting up early, the additional time will give you space to actually accomplish your life goals - and that should keep you going.
Ramage says, ‘Over the last couple of years I have managed to finish a degree part time and I am just about to finish a masters degree in positive psychology all whilst having running a busy futures brokerage in the city and OneYearNoBeer.
‘I have a routine which involves 10 minutes of meditation, 30 minutes exercise and the rest of my time is spent studying, reading and learning.
‘The key is that I can study, exercise and meditate all before the kids are awake!
You’ll find you finally have time for yourself
Having a couple of hours of ‘extra’ time at the start of the day means you can focus on yourself - and then spend the rest of your time relaxing with friends, guilt-free.
Ramage says, ‘It allows me to enjoy the rest of the day knowing that I have already looked after my mind and body. Any spare time is used for family and friends guilt free safe in the knowledge that the basics have been taken care of.’
You will find your ‘flow’
Having time to yourself where you can get really involved in something - such as exercise - could help you find your ‘flow’, Ramage says.
Ramage says, ‘There is some wonderful science behind the benefits of finding flow in your life. Sports stars describe flow as ‘being in the zone’, it’s when you are totally absorbed in the task and time almost stops. Getting up early allows us to pursue many of those hobbies and activities that bring flow into our lives.
It could be exercise, reading or painting. The science is there that suggest this is good for both our physical and mental health.
It could help you beat stress
Most of us associate early mornings with work stress and lie-ins with relaxation - but getting up early can give you a sense of ‘space’, Ramage says.
Ramage says, ‘All too often modern life becomes, work, stress, family, sleep repeat. Starting your day early creates space to break this downward spiral, creating an upward spiral of thriving.
‘On top of this I meditate, which is a proven skill to improve mental wellbeing.’
