This article is going to help you change the habit of sleeping late!
- Do you want the self-discipline to wake up early?
- Do you want to know how to stop going to bed SO late?
If you want these answers, then you are in the right place!
Section 1: How to Build The Self-Discipline to Wake Up Early
The key to waking up when you want, is to IMMEDIATELY go into a preset routine as soon as you get up in the morning.
Here’s how to do that.
How to Wake Up Early – Step 1: Avoid Your Phone!
I used to look at my phone THE SECOND I got up.
Then I would either:
- (A) Hit the snooze and go back to sleep.
- Or (B) Lay in bed texting, diving through emails, and randomly looking stuff up on the internet. (Which would completely drain my energy to do more productive things.)
Now, I have a rule that I don’t look at my phone I’ve gotten through most of my morning routine.
If this is difficult for you, try using a non-phone alarm, and don’t charge your phone in the bedroom.
That way you won’t get as tempted by your phone first thing in the morning.
How to Wake Up Early -Step 2: Have a Good Starter Habit
Next, have a specific starter habit which prompts you to start moving into your routine.
Your starter habit should have 2 features: Ease and Movement.
- First, it should be something which is incredibly EASY to do. That way even in your tired state you can handle doing it.
- Second, it needs to involve getting out of bed and getting MOVING.
Examples include:
- Drinking a glass of water
- Putting on your gym clothes
- Or eating a snack you like
Another thing that can work well, is to put your alarm on the other side of the room the night before.
That way when you wake up, your starter habit is to get up and turn it off.
Remember, that initial, groggy state is the HARDEST part to get past.
Once you get MOVING, it’s all downhill from there!
How to Wake Up Early -Step 3: Choose the Rest of Your Morning Routine Wisely
Next, experiment with different morning routines.
And see what sequence of habits is the most successful in getting you up and about.
Here are some KEY things to consider:
Place easier actions at the beginning of your routine
Keep doing easy habits to gain momentum until you are SURE you are not going to go back to bed.
THEN you can start to incorporate some of the harder things (like doing work or studying).
Prep things the night before
Try to prepare things the night before, so your Morning Self has an easier time with things.
For example:
- If you work out, you can pick out the gym clothes you plan to wear the day prior. That way you have them all laid out and ready to go.
- Or if you need to write a paper, put your computer out somewhere you will notice it, and have a word document already opened.
Just include a few things in your routine to start
Remember, your #1 goal is to stay awake.
So, at first, just focus on whatever behaviors can get you to do that.
Then, once you have those habits WELL established, you can consider layering in other beneficial behaviors.
When you are ready to add a harder habit, make it something you really care about
It could be meditating, yoga, journaling, or whatever.
The key is to pick something you have a STRONG desire to commit to.
Or even better, something that is ALREADY a current habit you do regularly.
For example, I used to exercise in the evenings, but I shifted to the mornings several years back.
Adding that 1 habit I really care about into my morning routine gave me an added sense of purpose for getting up earlier.
Make commitments you can’t get out of
This is an optional one but can be highly effective.
Examples include:
- Paying for a fitness class (and then wanting to go to get your money’s worth).
- Or getting a job that requires you to get up early.
Finally, don’t tweak your routine TOO much
Some experimentation is great, and encouraged.
But eventually you want to narrow things down and settle on a set routine.
That way it can start to become a habit.
Recommended Article: Why You Are Motivated at Night But Not in the Morning
Section 2: How to Stop Going to Bed So Late
Now, it’s time for the other piece of the puzzle.
If you really want to change the habit of sleeping late, you need to start getting to bed earlier.
Here’s how to make that happen!
How to Stop Going to Bed So Late – Step 1: Cut Out Behaviors That Harm Your Sleep
- First, think about any habits that are causing you to stay up late.
- Then, try to work on limiting them.
Here are some of the most common problem behaviors:
Your Phone
Your phone is the NUMBER ONE thing you should consider cutting out at night!
The reason why putting your phone away can be so helpful, is that using your phone is a GATEWAY into several other addictive things.
Like, social media, games, and texting.
If you put your phone away a few hours before bed, your sleep quality can improve DRAMATICALLY.
Recommended Article: How to Cure Your Phone Addiction (or watch the video below)
Blue Light
Speaking of phones, I need to talk about BLUE LIGHT.
Blue light comes from your phone and other electronic devices.
ALL light can make it difficult to sleep, but blue light is MUCH WORSE.
Many studies recommend you avoid blue light in the period right before bed.
If you can’t avoid electronics entirely, there are apps which dim or block out the blue light.
Social Media
I don’t care whether it’s on your phone, tablet, or computer – social media is one of the biggest DETERRENTS to you getting to bed on time.
If at all possible, try to avoid social media late at night.
For me, it helps if I have a pre-determined FINAL social media check in time.
During my final check in, I know it’s my last time to check my accounts for the night.
This helps me feel a bit better about not looking at them after, since I know I’m fairly caught up on things.
Video GAmes
Video games are INCREDIBLY addicting.
If games are keeping you up late, try to cut them off after a certain time if you can.
Recommended Article: How to Stop Playing Video Games So Much: 6 Ways (or watch the video below)
TV and Podcasts
You want to be careful about doing these things right before bed as well.
Whether it’s Netflix, a podcast, or watching YouTube.
If done right, these things can help you unwind. But if done wrong, they can lead you into an ENDLESS entertainment binge.
For me, it helps to have a set plan for what I am going to watch.
Like “I am going to watch the next episode of Stranger Things on Netflix, and then I’m going to shift to reading.”
If you don’t have a plan like that, you could end up staying up late watching or listening to WAY more than you initially planned.
People you live with or hang out with
Another thing that can keep you up, is people around you who stay up late.
When these situations arise, make sure to establish CLEAR boundaries.
Let them know when you are going to stop spending time with them and go to sleep.
Work
Don’t think because you are doing something productive it’s 100% good for you.
Before you go to bed, it is REALLY important to give yourself enough time to decompress.
If you try to go to bed IMMEDIATELY after a hard day of work, it’s going to be TOUGH to get your brain to shut down.
It is MUCH more beneficial to put the work away and switch to something more relaxing before bed.
Understandably, trying not to do some of these things before bed is easier said than done
But it helps to at least be AWARE that these things are contributing to your bad sleep habits.
That way you can work on reducing them.
How to Stop Going to Bed So Late – Step 2: Have a Solid Night Routine.
It helps to have a consistent routine before you go to bed.
This is for two reasons:
First, it helps you get away from the bad behaviors I just discussed.
By replacing them with GOOD behaviors.
Second, night routines help you get in the right mindset to go to bed.
That’s because your brain has an easier time forming a new habit, when it is paired with an existing one.
And routines are a bundling of several habits in a row, each one reinforcing the others.
So, by the time you’ve reached the final step of going to bed, your brain is primed and ready for sleep.
There’s 1 major way night routines are different from morning routines:
In the morning, the main goal of your routine is to get MOVING. But at night, the main goal of your routine is to WIND DOWN.
Here are some things to consider when creating your night routine:
Do any high energy or high stress things earlier in your routine
For example, it’s totally fine if you work out in the evenings, but you don’t want to do that RIGHT BEFORE bed.
Include things that relax you
For me, reading before bed really helps me unwind and get to sleep easier.
Turn the temperature down
Research has shown COOLER temperatures help you sleep better.
Reflect on the Day
It can sometimes help calm your mind to reflect on how your day went.
This could be something official like journaling, or it could be just spending a few minutes quietly thinking.
Even if your day didn’t go so well, this often helps.
That’s because it allows your mind to process those things, so you don’t worry about them as much when trying to sleep.
Plan Out The Next Day
If you haven’t already, right before bed can be a great time to plan or fine tune tomorrow’s to-do list.
Visualizing the day ahead of time can make it easier to KICKSTART things the next morning.
Don’t worry too much if you can’t get your full routine done
If something unexpected comes up which gets in the way of your routine, that’s okay.
It’s going to happen.
Just get whatever parts of your routine done that you can.
As you practice your night routine, over time your body will adjust. And you will start to form a HABIT of going to sleep right after your routine ends.
Final Tip on How to Change the Habit of Sleeping Late
There is no universal BEST time to wake up or go to sleep.
- For some, it’s super early.
- For others, it’s later.
It all comes down to your own unique situation.
So, make sure you find a sleep schedule that works for YOU!
Not because someone says you NEED to follow a certain sleep schedule to be successful.
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