16 Ways to Wake Yourself Up Naturally

The moment you wake up, the body is already in a state of slight dehydration. Taking a glass of water when you arise from bed can aid in starting up your metabolic rate to ‘wake up’ your system. A slice of lemon or a supplementary dose of vitamin C can help you further.

Water is very central to your body because it plays a role in almost all the activities that take place in the body. If the body does not have adequate water, it feels drained. Ensure you have a glass of water by your bedside and try to take it immediately when you wake up from bed.

Fresh morning exercise is beneficial even if it's walking or some stretches in the morning. Physical activity means that your blood flows throughout your body, and the brain releases feel-good hormones and you tend to have more strength.

This does not mean that one needs to jog for a long time. You may decide to crack your neck and spine a little by performing a few simple yoga poses as well. Yoga also has the added benefit of improving your wakefulness and the mood that you have for the rest of the day.

The hormone affected by light is melatonin, the hormone of sleep. Thus, when one wakes up in the morning, light gives the message to reduce the production of the hormone which makes the body awake and alert.

In the morning, you must get out of bed and open your curtains or blinds. It should be opened enough to let in some natural light into the bedroom. You could also walk in the sunlight for 5 to 10 minutes. By doing this, you could remain energized throughout the day.

There’s nothing more efficient than a cold shower to wake up in the morning and be active. Cold water is favorable as it activates the body, makes you awaken, and even makes you happy. It helps to reduce all your dullness and laziness.

Cold showers can make you more alert, increase the heart rate, and activate adrenaline hormones inside the body. However, if the full shower is too much, you can wet your face with cold water just for a few seconds.

It is stressful to go through the whole day without eating a proper healthy breakfast. The foods that one can include in breakfast need to contain proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates. 

Avoid foods that lead to the onset of mid-morning fatigue like sweet breads and cereals. Well, you could start your day with a healthy and energetic combo consisting of a green bowel-moving smoothie with greens and fruits, and a blended protein bar.

The reason for having a few minutes of meditation in the morning is that it makes one alert the whole day. Therefore, meditation should be carried out frequently as it helps to decrease stress and eventually assist in developing personality.

Mindful meditation involves focusing on the present moment with non-judgmental awareness. People can observe their thoughts, feelings, and sensations without attachment. By fostering a centered mind, mindful meditation helps in cultivating clarity and resilience.

The fact that the body’s natural response to comedy is laughing means that laughter is indeed the best medicine. Laughing could be induced by watching a comedy clip, repeating a funny story, or cracking humorous jokes.

This leads to the alleviation of stress and anxiety. Laughter produces endorphins which affect an individual’s moods, making them wakeful and happy. It even creates a fun environment with friends and colleagues which eventually makes you feel calm and relaxed. 

Oxygen is needed for the brain to function well. Sufficient oxygen can help in the reduction of stress. Deep breathing is a great technique that features good amounts of inhalation of oxygen.

By increasing oxygen intake, deep breathing enhances energy levels and promotes relaxation. This makes it a simple yet effective technique for overall well-being and mental clarity. Conduct this exercise by sitting with your back straight and shoulders relaxed.

Alcohol reduces the amount of time taken to drift off while caffeine will increase the time taken to go to sleep. Caffeine has a half-life of about 5 hours indicating that it is bound to stay in your system for a long time.

One must avoid consuming foods like coffee, alcohol, or products containing caffeine in the afternoon and the evening. Too much caffeine or alcohol is neither good for your health nor for your sleep.

Physical activities can also enhance the quality of sleep. Sports have a regulating effect on circadian rhythms, in other words, sports can contribute to a better night’s sleep and timely wake-up in the morning. 

It also assists in reducing stress and anxiety to a normal level, hence aiding the body to relax. Involvement in physical activities makes you more alert and active. Physical activities like popular sports (basketball and soccer), running, or cycling can help increase your life span to some extent.

It should be noted that your body generally becomes used to routine work. Hence, adults should aim to sleep at a fixed time and also get up at a fixed time each day. This routine should be followed during the weekends too.

Sticking to a consistent schedule also assists in the synchronization of the body’s clock and can make waking up less unbearable over time.

Light emitted from phones, tablets, and computer screens is blue. This blue light can disrupt your sleep. So, minimize the amount of screen time at least an hour before going to bed. You can perform other activities like reading or even taking a warm bath.

Participate in some other leisure activities like enjoying your family time. Blue light emitted from gadgets interferes with the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that helps in sleep. If one has to use electronics, then it is wise to use a filter of blue light or use blue light-blocking glasses. 

Reading a book before going to bed can effectively assist you in sleeping soundly. You can cut stress levels by just reading some interesting novels. This is a lot different from mindlessly browsing through one’s phone with the blue light that affects sleep.

Buying a hard copy, or even using an e-book with the night light filter works. By reading, you could release tension at the end of the day. Select a book/s that you enjoy reading. However, you could avoid the horror genre as these books may not let you sleep.

Make a habit of planning your upcoming day before retiring to bed. This will help you to get rid of stress and have a peaceful sleep. List down the activities to do and distinguish them by urgency. 

Realizing what has to be done the following day might make a great difference. You will not feel so tense and jumpy, which will let you sleep better. It also helps you in the morning since you will now wake up with a concrete plan of what to do.

Eating a heavy meal, especially at night, affects the quality of sleep and could result in people becoming lazy in the morning. Heavy food takes long hours to digest in the body system.

Hence, you should avoid heavy meals, particularly at dinner. Moreover, you should abstain from eating at least 2-3 hours before your sleeping time.

Certain essential oils, such as mint and citrus, can help an individual to increase concentration and wake up. You can just set it on a diffuser, put a couple of drops on your wrists, or just grab the bottle and take a whiff. These scents can assist in creating a clearer mind and giving an energy boost.

The use of aromatherapy is as old as civilization, and it can be used to improve individuals’ quality of life. Try different oils as you may prefer a specific type for your skin. Other options for you are rosemary, eucalyptus, and lemon. They are all useful and help you wake up naturally.

There are many benefits when you naturally wake up in the morning. Most of them are related to your state of mind and physical well-being.

Improved Sleep Quality

Natural wake-ups are normally associated with biomorphs because they show that your body has gone through the natural cycle and has quality time to sleep and rest resulting healthy mind and healthy body.

Enhanced Mood

One can wake up naturally without the assistance of an alarm and this comes with the effect of easing tension or irritation in the morning period. This can keep you in a joyful mood throughout the day.

Increased Energy Levels

Natural wakefulness enables the person to get up in the morning without feeling so exhausted, thus indicating higher energy levels with better efficacy throughout the day.

Better Cognitive Function

A fresh start in the morning can gradually eliminate the negative thoughts and stress on the mind. This promotes clear thinking, concentration, and overall high cognitive performance.

Healthier Start

Waking up naturally means avoiding the abrupt wake-up calls by the alarm. This will assist in the encouragement of good habits like taking care of the body and being keen during morning activities.

If you experience wake-up problems frequently, it may be time to seek a professional doctor and take medical advice. Here are some of the issues that you need to watch:

Oversleeping

If you're lying in bed for more than 9 hours a day, it can be an indication of sleep disorders, depression, and other ailments. If you are feeling sleepy most of the time or all day then it's time to consult with a doctor.

Oversleeping may cause cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, or reduced functionality. Visiting a doctor makes it easy for an individual to get personalized advice and the best possible medical treatment. You could be suffering from an underlying condition that may have led to poor sleep for a long time.

Sleep Inertia

Sleep inertia describes the desire to sleep as well as the limited alertness a person experiences when one wakes up from their sleep. It features a decline in mood and performance after waking up.

When the brain is passive, it might impact blood flow in the brain and decrease the levels of adenosine (a hormone related to sleep). This is usually observed in those people who have missed their sleeping time or have specific sleep disorders / mental disorders.

Work-Life Issues

Unable to control and manage proper sleep time due to hectic work hours might result in an unhealthy lifestyle. As a result, it will adversely impact your health. You feel dazed, dull, and passive after waking up. 

Moreover, taking caffeine to stay awake during night shifts can also pose a threat to your sleeping pattern.

Sleep Disruptions

Diabetes mellitus may affect the quality of sleep that one gets. Its negative effects include repeatedly waking during the night at different times. This can damage the biological clock and the quality of sleep. It will eventually affect your mental health, giving you unnecessary stress and anxiety.

When Is The Best Time To Wake Up?

Waking up early is great for every person since it offers lots of benefits. It makes you active, energetic, and productive for the upcoming day. However, people can get confused regarding when to wake up. 

Fix the time when you have to wake up and subtract 7 hours. This is so because adults generally require at least 7 hours of sleep for better health. For instance, if you have to be awake at 6:00 AM, ensure that you sleep by 11:00 PM.

Is It Okay To Sleep Longer On Weekends?

Sometimes taking a nap is necessary due to tiredness and exhaustion in the body. When you are tired after a long week, you may seek to indulge in a deep sleep during the weekends.

However, you shouldn't practice it often because it might interrupt the natural sleep pattern and can be a sign of underlying health issues.

Why Can’t You Wake Up When You Desire?

Lack of quality sleep, night shifts, unhealthy lifestyles, and systemic illnesses can result in an improper wake-up schedule. Stress or disorders like Sleep Apnea may cause an individual to have poor quality of sleep.

Sleeping at variable times every day could affect the natural body clock. Due to this, one will be unable to wake up without a struggle. Taking caffeine before going to bed and using electronic devices before sleeping time can also cause this issue.

Why Can't You Get Up After Waking Up?

If you try to open your eyes and get out of bed but discover that you are immobile and cannot make a sound, then you might be suffering from sleep paralysis. 

This is usually experienced at night when you are half-asleep. Though fully conscious that you are awake, your body organs remain frozen. The duration of this problem can be generally brief, ranging from several seconds to a few minutes.