If you have more than one alarm set or the desire to snooze is so great you have difficulty getting out of bed, this article can be your wake up call.
Why You Keep Snoozing Your Alarm
This might seem obvious, but there's more than just, "I'm too tired" and "it's too easy to hit the snooze button."
You could have trouble sleeping through the night and not even know it. Sometimes this is caused by sleep apnea and you'll need help from a doctor. If you're not waking yourself up in the middle of the night, if you have a partner, you're probably waking them up with your snoring or sudden breathing cessation.
You could be waking up at 3am and telling yourself you need those extra few minutes of sleep. (This is actually pretty common. We have some tips here if you have that problem).
You might be stressed or depressed and just feel like the bed is more comfortable than the day. Obviously, this is going to take more than just this article to address, but it is important for you to note if stress or depression is why you're having difficulty getting out of bed in the morning.
Your circadian rhythm could be off because of your job or because you keep waking up too late.
The first key to successfully waking up with the first vibration or note of your alarm clock is to recognize why you want to push that snooze button again.
How to Wake Up Early (or on Time)
Waking up early starts with prep during the day. And that means good sleep hygiene, or your daily routine that can help you sleep better at night.
You can also shorten this to the last hour or two before bed.
Start a Bedtime Routine
First, decide on what time you want to wake up. If it's 6am, back it up 8 hours. You may only need 7 hours of sleep or a little less, but start at 8. That means you need to start preparing to go to bed at 9pm and start a consistent routine.
You might dim the lights, turn the thermostat down to make the temperature cooler, and journal or read a book.
If you have excellent self control and a device that can eliminate blue light, a listening to a podcast before bed is an excellent way to help stick to that routine.
Give it two weeks and if you're still feeling tired when your alarm clock goes off, move your bedtime up or back a half hour.
Move Your Alarm Clock
Move your alarm clock out of arm's reach. It's even better if you can put it in a spot that will make you physically get out of bed to turn it off. Just make sure it's loud enough for you to hear!
Treat Yourself
Reward yourself for waking up on time. Set a goal of waking up 5 times a week without snoozing your alarm and reward yourself. A dessert, some sort of self care, a small present. You'll have an extra reason to be motivated to get up on time (beyond having more time to get ready).
How Long Will It Take?
Generally speaking, habits are established in about 21 days. Stick to it and you'll find yourself getting out of bed the first time.
Benefits of Waking Up Early
If you have a partner, the top benefit is making your partner happier by not waking them up multiple times.
You'll start feeling less stress because you'll have more time to sleep or more time to get ready for work. You may even have enough time in your morning for some much needed self-care.