Photo by Kate Stone Matheson on Unsplash

While some people appear to easily and naturally wake up early with seemingly little to no effort, I am not one of those natural “early birds.” I have a history of waking up later than I wanted to and feeling frustrated with that pattern. I have set out to “fix my sleep schedule” more than once in the past, but I decided to make yet another effort to create a lasting change in my sleep habits. This time, I’m documenting my findings to help others who struggle with sleep learn how to wake up earlier. I have published several posts sharing my progress on this journey. All of the articles in this How To Wake Up Earlier Series also include tips and strategies to help you wake up earlier.

How To Wake Up Earlier Introduction

How To Wake Up Earlier Update 1

How To Wake Up Earlier Update 2

How To Wake Up Earlier Update 3

3.13.23

Today was the last day of my weekend trip to LA. I woke up around 9 am, so I could get on the road by noon.

3.14.23

First day back on my new sleep schedule, and I got up at 8 am! Amazing! I’m so proud of myself. I spent some time immediately after waking up crocheting as a reward. 

This is yet another sign of how resilient we are. Return to your goals. I will continue to repeat this. Even if you think it has been “too long” or you have gotten “off-track.” You can always try again. The results might surprise you!

Photo by Damian Markutt on Unsplash

3.15.23

I got up at 9 am, which was later than I wanted to get up. I was up until 1 am, but I was working, so I’m okay with that. I am striving to find a balance between the night-owl life and the early-morning life. I do enjoy working at night, which is one of the perks of working for yourself. This is another reminder to stay true to yourself and what works for your lifestyle and preferences.

3.16.23

I got up at 8 am today, despite staying up until 1 am (working again). It’s so interesting. 7-9 hours of sleep is the standard recommendation. I’ve noticed that on some days, I feel perfectly fine after 7 hours of sleep, and have no problem getting up.  But on other days, I can’t even get out of bed after 7 hours of sleep. So I’m not sure what is up with that.

3.17.23

I was up late again (1 am), this time I did not wake up early anyway. I got up at 10 am. That is totally fine; I know my body needed that sleep. 

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

How To Wake Up Earlier Wrap-Up

I’m going to conclude this series here. I’ve been consistently waking up at 8 am most weekdays, despite some bumps. Originally, I thought I wanted to wake up earlier, but now I feel like this is a realistic schedule for my current phase of life. If I end up deciding I do want to start waking up even earlier, I know what steps to take to achieve that goal.

 I’m happy with how this learning how to wake up earlier journey has gone for me. I showed myself that I am capable of making the lifestyle changes I want to make, and I hope sharing this journey helps others do the same. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions about changing your sleep schedule or achieving new goals. 

Wishing you well with your personal development! See you in the next post!