1. Create a sleep schedule. Research shows that fine tuning your circadian rhythm is important for healthy sleep patterns. Science has shown that going to sleep and waking at the same time may be more important than the actual hours of sleep—especially if you’re trying to take charge of your sleep schedule.
   
   
2. Reduce exposure to blue light. Blue light is everywhere. Sunlight is the main source, but there are also man-made sources of blue light, including computer screens, smartphones, and flat-screen televisions.
   
   
3. Limit how much you eat and drink before bed. Late night eating may disrupt your sleep, stimulate your body’s digestion process, and cause you to wake up needing to use the bathroom.
4. Cut off caffeine after noon. If you struggle with falling asleep at night, avoid caffeine or other stimulants after 12:00 pm.
   
   
5. Take a warm bath. Try soaking in magnesium epsom salts. Magnesium helps promote relaxation, relax the central nervous system, and encourage a better night's sleep.
   
   
6. Create a cave. Use curtains and coverings to block light from seeping in, and cover or remove blinking lights from devices. Consider removing your TV or electronics from your bedroom. This fine tunes your circadian rhythms and promotes a healthy and natural production of melatonin.
   
   
7. Manage stress, and include daily physical activity. Being active has been shown to relieve some symptoms of insomnia and rev your metabolism, and it also manages cortisol levels (the stress hormone).
   
   

Tricks and Tips from the Early Bird Who Catches the Worm

Try these things to become the morning bird you’ve wanted to be and to wake up feeling rested and rejuvenated:

First become clear with your WHY. Why do you want to wake up early? To get in your morning workout? To do creative work? To meditate and/or pray? Get clear. Know WHY it is important for you to wake up early, and the steps that follow will become easy!

Next, make sure to get enough sleep. You need anywhere from 6 - 9 hours each night (everyone is different, but most people do best with 8 hours of sleep). You cannot expect to wake up early if you’re not getting the sleep your body needs to rest, rejuvenate, and recover.

If you’re still struggling to wake up early after becoming clear on your WHY, try these tips:

• Encourage yourself to take the first step, and get out of bed.
• Set your alarm on the opposite side of the room.
• Make a date with an early morning workout buddy.
• Don’t hit the snooze button.