Recently a client told me she is having trouble getting out of bed in the mornings. She’s going to bed late, tossing and turning most the night and then struggling to get out of bed. Ideally, she would love to get up and go for a walk, but just can’t seem to manage it.
As I’m the one that gets up at 5.40am to run 3 days a week and walks the other 2 weekdays, I’ve never struggled with this myself, so I reached out to the Space and Time Facebook community for their suggestions on getting out of bed in the morning.
Before we delve into what they came up with, what’s the problem with irregular sleep patterns and let’s look at a couple pertinent questions people asked s to get to the bottom of the problem.
What’s the big deal about sleep?
Sleep is a really important part of our health. Medical News Today says it is important as exercise and a balanced diet. Sleep aids productivity and concentration, it has positive effects on our mental health and builds a stronger immune system (not to mention the cooperative processes that go on in our bodies as we sleep).
What’s stopping you?
Sandra asked:
” Is there some underlying medical condition or mental health challenge they need to address? Alternatively, if they love their bed then it’s about setting a routine and sticking to it. Very generalist advice. I’m working from home and I’m still getting up at my usual time during the week and using what was my commute time to do gardening, preparing evening meal etc.
She also suggested “they need a purpose – whether it be exercise, a hobby. Do they watch tv in bed, use a laptop in bed, eat? Then I’d suggest they don’t have those things in their bedroom.
As they say life isn’t always exciting but it’s how you approach life is what makes it exciting 😎”
Go to bed earlier
Susie suggested “Go to bed earlier, that’s what I found helped”.
Set an alarm an hour before your bed time and start your nightly routine with no screen time, read a book, remove makeup and clean your teeth and do these things in the same order every night.
Create a new routine – and stick to it
Bronwyn suggested “Set a routine – same time every day, set alarm then up and into the shower, no staying in bed.”
Stay in bed
I loved Leanne’s suggestion, she said “Stay in bed 😉 “
Countdown
Sophie said “5, 4, 3, 2, 1 go works for me.”
Sophie’s suggestion is what Mel Robbins calls the 5 second rule: “The 5 Second Rule is simple. If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it.“
Read about the 5 elements of Mel’s 5 Second rule here.
Move the alarm clock
Amanda said “Put the alarm clock somewhere where you have to get out of bed to turn it off!!! That’s what I do”🤣
What else?
I thought I’d do some more research myself and come up with some other ideas if you are having trouble getting out of bed in the morning.
Reduce caffeine
Personally, I can’t have tea or coffee after midday without it effecting my sleep. sleepeducation.org says
“Caffeine can have a disruptive effect on your sleep. The most obvious effect of the stimulant is that it can make it hard for you to fall asleep. One study also found that caffeine can delay the timing of your body clock. These effects will reduce your total sleep time. Caffeine also can reduce the amount of deep sleep that you enjoy.”
Reduce alcohol
Webmd.com says: “Alcohol may seem to be helping you to sleep, as it helps induce sleep, but overall it is more disruptive to sleep, particularly in the second half of the night,”
Additionally, Erick also back’s up the notion to reduce alcohol to improve sleep on id-mag says “On the contrary, alcohol’s far-reaching effect is a lot more harmful than people realize. Yes, admittedly, alcohol helps one fall asleep faster when taken in, but that sleep-inducing aftermath of alcohol doesn’t last all throughout the night. In fact, alcohol disrupts the sleep cycle during the most important part of the process, and if not resolved any sooner, can often lead to more damaging, fatal consequences”.
What did we miss?
Reach out to me at info@spaceandtime.com.au to share your technique for someone having trouble getting out of bed.
Need help to set up a new routine?
One of my favourite things to do as a professional organiser, based in Melbourne is to help women prioritise all that they need to get done each week. I love to work with them to examine their goals and how they can get it all done in an easy step by step process. With my support, they create the success and outcomes they deserve. Find out more here.