Wake Up Early, Fresh, and Motivated

I find myself constantly complaining that there are not enough hours in the day and that I am always playing "catch up." I had finally accepted the fact that I am stuck in running behind non productive land when it hit me that there are useable hours I had not only given up but FORGOTTEN about since becoming a Mom five years ago. Where are those hours and how do you access them, you ask? Read on.

Before adopting two school aged children I had a routine that included waking up at 4:30 every morning to work out, make my bed, shower, and get a head start on my tasks for the day. I was happy, healthy and productive then. I am a frazzled mess now. My kids killed my routine and exhausted me. I am in the recovery stage right now and initiating my old ways. There were three simple steps I followed then that helped me wake up early and make the most of my days.

1. You have to go to bed at night. Over the last few years I have made a habit of pulling all nighters because the only way I could get anything done was to wait until everyone else was in bed. BAD BAD BAD! While planning your routine, keep in mind that you need between 6 and 8 hours of sleep.
2. Clear your mind before falling asleep. Practice some deep breathing techniques and if you can spend a few minutes meditating you'll have maximum results. Brushing your teeth just before you climb into bed creates natural aromatherapy that will help you relax.
3. Schedule your sleep around 90 minute increments. This is crucial. We sleep in 90 minute cycles that consist of different phases. When you wake up in a cycle affects how you feel at that moment. If you wake up somewhere in the deep sleep portion you will be groggier and more likely to turn off the alarm and go back to bed than if you wake up at the end of a cycle in a lighter stage of sleep. If you time your alarm to go off at a 90 minute mark you will wake up fresh, rested, and motivated for the day. EXAMPLE: If your bedtime is 10:00pm, you could set your alarm for 5:30 or 7:00am. That would allow you 7.5 or 9 hours of sleep without interrupting your sleep cycle.

When I was 24 I learned this technique from a co-worker who was sort of unconventional and new age-ish. I used it until I was 35 and by the time I tossed it aside and went into new Mommy Survival mode, I no longer required the use of an alarm clock regardless of whether or not I went to bed and woke up at the same time each day.

For the last couple of years I have tried to break the "sleep in" habit and have thought back to the days when I was fresh and spry in the morning. I am so excited to have remembered the tiny detail of the 90 minute rule and cannot wait to start practicing it again!

Let's all try it and reclaim our days!