Owl to early bird

How I went from being a night owl to an early bird

I decided to create this blog because I've always suffered from insomnia for as long as I can remember and kind of accepted it like it's part of my DNA so I wasn't convinced there was loads I could do to change this but oh how I was wrong! It's fair to say sorting my sleep is something I'm sadly proud of and now, I honestly believe if I can fix my insomnia, anyone can because up until recently I was that person that just didn't sleep enough. I was the first person other people would contact if they couldn't sleep. I was super approachable at the wrong hours because everyone who knew me would know I would be up.  Now after some changes, I can proudly say I go to bed at around ten every night and wake up at six am every morning and yes I actually get up and do things at that hour so here are my tips if you want to a better sleeping pattern.

1. Wake up early every single morning no matter what. Eventually your sleeping pattern will fix itself and it's about the long game not how you feel at the present moment. Gradually wake up earlier everyday until you start waking up at a time your satisfied with everyday. This should be done slowly but surely just stick with it because it will get easier with time and once you start sleeping abundantly, you won't feel the need to sleep in.
2. Resist the urge to nap. When you first make changes, you'll feel absolutely exhausted and feel tempted to nap. Don't give in. So, I wasn't massively into naps however I would have the odd nap maybe once a week or so. Even occasional naps have a knock on affect so please don't sleep through the day at all unless you need to as I know many people with medical conditions or certain occupations benefit from naps but for most of us they just set us off balance.
3. Obviously you need to go to bed earlier but I find it helpful to put my phone on 'do not disturb' mode every night when I'm winding down. If I can't sleep and do insist on using my phone before bed, I'll put it onto 'reading mode' with my brightness down to the lowest as the blue light from your phone will keep you up. You can't expect to sleep well if you're straining your eyes especially if you don't need to so please protect your eyes.
4. I set my alarm for 6am every morning and I stick to it. I worked my way up to this. Have a rule where you don't sleep past 10am then gradually lower this until you wake up at a time you're happy with. You don't have to wake up as early as 6am but going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time will put you in a routine so choose something that aligns with your lifestyle. 
5. Cold showers. I start my day with a freezing shower. I might not have it at the lowest setting initially but I'll gradually turn it down until it's at the coldest and there's honestly nothing more invigorating than a cold shower as you'll feel so energised for it so believe me they're great. The good thing about doing this is, you won't be cold when you come out the shower which is ideal for all seasons. There's so many health benefits so please consider getting used to this as they're great for your immune system and your mood. I can't help but feel happy and wide awake after my icy morning shower so if you feel you can handle it, do it.
6. Exercise helps you sleep and so does yoga so consider boosting your activity levels. This is what I've always done to help me sleep and I honestly didn't think I'd be able to fix my sleeping pattern without the gym but I've managed to do this without being very active however it's still worth a mention because exercise is that go-to solution if you struggle with sleep. It will tire you out at night and boost your energy levels so you don't feel tired throughout the day. It just balances you out that's all I can say about it. 
7. Staying hydrated. dehydration will prevent you from having a good sleep so try to drink plenty of water throughout the day and don't dehydrate yourself before going to bed because it will keep you up and maybe even give you a headache. 
8. Relaxing baths, I don't bath just before bed as my hair takes ages to dry but anytime in the evening is fine. It doesn't have to be late but it helps you wind down and relax. Use Epsom salts in your bath, you can get them cheap and the benefits are endless, they're also multipurpose so always have a bag or two in your bathroom. I never buy bath bombs because they're literally made of these ingredients so it makes financial sense to just buy pure Epsom salts.
9. Pillow sprays and aromas. So scents can stimulate people even the relaxing ones so this won't work for everyone but lavender and chamomile does help me sleep but for my partner they have the opposite effect therefore I don't use my spray as much as I should. You can also buy essential oils as well, so set the mood for the evening by using nice aromas. I also recommend diffusers and candles but again avoid scents that are too uplifting or stimulating because you want them to relax you not energise you.
10. I have an emergency supply of antihistamines for the drowsy effect for when I go several nights without sleeping. This has a sedating effect on me and puts me to sleep. This is good for resetting me so that I don't get sleep deprived however when I say I use this as an emergency I mean as a last resort. We can go two nights with bad sleep so I would only take this if the insomnia it went on longer because you do build up a tolerance to medicines. I went to a doctor asking for sleeping pills and this is what they suggested so if you're struggling to sleep to the point where you're considering taking something strong please seek medical advice from your GP because although this is effective for an emergency, it also makes me very groggy the next day so there's probably better solutions than taking any sedatives. 
11. Fresh bed sheets. Change your bedsheets at least once a week if you want to feel revived.
12. Clean and tidy your room because we can't relax in a messy room.
13. Make your bed every single morning and don't go back to bed at any point until you actually want to sleep. Not everyone has the luxury of having other areas to relax in but if you do have the choice please just keep your bed a designated area for sleeping in and psychologically your mind and body will just associate it with sleep only. 
14. It took me many years before I realised that I'm sensitive to sound and light so now I don't have any lights in my room when I'm sleeping. I don't have a tv in my bedroom, just a laptop, kindle, phone, earphones and chargers and most of these things are kept in a drawer and don't shine any distracting lights. Always have good blinds and curtains (I recommend blackout) and sleep in complete darkness (if you're not afraid of the dark). Some people need noise to sleep but I'm not one of those people. For me personally I don't listen to any music before bed because it stimulates me so I save these things for the morning when I actually want to be awake. I also sleep with an eye mask every night which has Velcro at the back so I can keep it slack (I got it off amazon), it's very comfortable and cooling so doesn't feel warm, tight or uncomfortable. I can't recommend one of these more. 
15. Caffeine. Believe it or not I don't take caffeine at all. Occasionally I get into the habit or taking caffeine tablets for when I need to be alert but again I don't abuse it. Certain occupations I've had have required my full concentration due to safeguarding and security reasons so I would use them if I needed to be on the ball but honestly I don't recommend them at all. Just like antihistamines, I see caffeine as something that you should have in your tool-kit for emergencies. I think people take far too much caffeine to the point where it's not even effective anymore. I'm a naturally energetic person anyway so if I took it, I would bounce off the walls which I don't mind because it means I haven't built up a tolerance for it. So if you need caffeine and can't function without your morning coffee then that's fine but try to limit it and only take it when you need it like at certain times of the day or when you're doing important things like going to work etc and cut it out completely in the evening. 
16. I'm not going to give medical advice because this is something that you should check with your doctor however I've always been a fan of treating things naturally so when I'm thinking of taking supplements or vitamins, I always check it over with my doctor first to ensure what I'm taking is okay. Although doctors can't prescribe natural remedies, they can give their professional opinion on them and it's not uncommon for doctors to make suggestions. I also recommend seeking their advice because not all natural solutions will be suitable for you and it mostly depends on what you're deficient in so I would consider making an appointment and getting your bloods checked and asking your doctor if it's okay before going to your local health shop and hoping for the best. Bare in mind that natural treatments are not an alternative and you should take care of yourself naturally as well as take any medications you may need. Bare in mind your sleep problems could be an indicator of an underlying health condition so if you can't seem to sleep no matter what you do then you should see your doctor. 
17. Read a book before bed instead of looking at a screen. It will help you feel tired. 

Benefits to having a morning routine. 

• Waking up at the same time everyday puts you in a constant routine and makes you feel centred. 
• Structure, you can get more done in your days if you wake up at six am.
• You'll feel more positive and energised.
• You'll sleep better
• You won't waste many hours tossing and turning or wasting your day in your bed. You'll be up doing things or you'll be asleep so you're able to differentiate between rest and productiveness. 
• You'll become more focussed and your mind will naturally feel sharper.
• Mornings are so grounding for us especially if we're the first people up so you can have time to breathe before launching into your day.
• You'll have more time to get ready in the morning and won't feel rushed.
• You can wake up gently and have plenty of time to yourself.
• More time to get things done. You can start the day right.
• More time to exercise in the morning.
• It puts you in a good routine which means you won't feel tired at work.
• It encourages you to have a good work ethic. 

My inspiration behind the 6am starts

The more I do this, the more I realise that 6am isn't even that early. It's not a ridiculous time to get up at all. By the time I've had my shower and got ready it's 7am and everyone else is awake. I love listening to upbeat music in the shower because it makes me so positive and happy for the day. I never feel lethargic and it just works for me. However when I first started doing this, I was in a different routine and I woke up one day (I'm not sure if it was even morning anymore) anyway, it wasn't an acceptable time to wake up. So basically I just had a long-lie yet I didn't feel like I even had a good sleep and that's when I realised... The time you wake up doesn't determine how awake you'll feel. If you're constantly trying to sleep for as long as possible to make up for poor sleep then you'll always feel exhausted. Sleeping for too long is just as bad for you as not sleeping enough and knowing this fact alone is enough to encourage me to keep doing this. The best way to have enough sleep is to have the same amount every night. You want consistency because what's the point in sleeping for too long one night then not being able to sleep properly the next night because you've overslept the previous night? There's no point and it's a bad habit to get into. Now I know, I've had enough rest every single morning and I'm ready to go. I'm currently studying from home and I have no reason to wake up at the hour I'm waking up at. I have nowhere to be at that time in the morning. For me it's a discipline because I feel it's important to push myself regardless of whether I have things to get up for. I'm a self-motivated person and don't need someone to tell me to get up at 6am everyday. I do it for me. Also, I do have a commute to college so when we go into college properly, I will have to wake up early so I guess that's my motivation behind this. Depending on when I start, I might very well have to wake up at 6am anyway so I thought why not get used to it now? That way I don't have to worry about it when the time comes. Now I've got evidence that I can discipline myself for no reason other than I want to. I want to enjoy my day, I want to be an early-riser, I want to sleep well every night, I want to feel positive, I want to feel energised and I want to be as motivated as I can be. When you get up for no reason, when you have a reason you'll feel so equipped. I don't want to go back to being a night owl because there's honestly nothing more satisfying than getting up first thing in the morning because the early bird catches the worm.