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My secrets for waking up at 5am…
When my husband switched to the morning shift at his job, we started needing to wake up super early. I’m a morning person to begin with, but 5am didn’t come easy, even for me. To make waking up possible, you need a good structure, and things to keep you motivated. Here is my list of 7 things that make adjusting to waking up at 5am easier.
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Make coffee the night before
This will definitely make waking up at 5am easier.
If you’re anything like me, coffee is a MUST. Setting up your coffee pot the night before is a great way to make sure you have what you need to start the day right.
Put your alarm on the other side of the room
This will make you have to get up and moving.
If you physically get out of bed to shut off your alarm, you are much more likely to find the motivation to stay awake.
Just make sure you don’t hop back into bed after.
Shower first thing
Getting to the shower first thing in the morning is a great way to wake yourself up.
Its hard to still be sleepy once you’ve showered, so I usually try to do this before my husband goes to work in the mornings.
Go to bed earlier (and start getting READY for bed earlier too)
Getting to bed at a reasonable time is probably the key to waking up earlier.
If you want to make waking up at 5am easier, you need to make sure you are still getting enough sleep.
Also, getting ready for bed earlier.
If I want to get to bed at 9pm, I have to start getting ready for bed around 8:15pm. This gives us time to clean up the living room, brush our teeth, and get our little one started with his bedtime routine.
We have to do all this before we can get into bed ourselves, so its important that we start our bedtime routine early.
Set out your clothes for the next morning
The less things you have to think about at 5am, the better.
Matching your clothes or finding something comfy to wear around the house shouldn’t be something you have to think about.
Setting out a nice outfit for the day will both give you motivation to get things done, and give you one less thing to worry about.
Establish a quick morning routine
Establishing a good morning routine will make waking up at 5am easier.
If you have a set routine that you can go through without thinking too much, it will make it easier to get stuff done in the morning.
A big part of my routine is brushing my teeth as soon as I wake up, showering and coffee time.
For me, this could also include Bible study, exercise, and making the bed/cleaning. Find what works for you, and make it a routine.
Know what you are making for breakfast ahead of time
Having breakfast pre-made or thought out is another good time saver.
Oatmeal, scrambled eggs + toast, and egg sandwiches are our easy go-to breakfast meals.
Not having to wonder what to make, or if you even have breakfast food in the house, will help keep you motivated when you wake up at 5am.