![]() However, if you believe you’re forever destined to be an evening person - whether it’s your work schedule or something else difficult to change - Knutson recommends using these findings as a wake-up call to pay extra attention to your health. (If you need help falling asleep, check out these helpful tips.) How to Hack Your Sleep ScheduleĪre you a night owl who wants to shake up their sleep cycle in the name of a longer, healthier life? Try starting small, focusing on getting to bed 30 minutes earlier and gradually adding time. Limit screen time: Avoid scrolling through your phone or staring at your TV or laptop before bed, since the blue light emitted from these devices can affect your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.It should be noted that this study was done on a 94-percent-Caucasian population, so there is still much more research to be done to fully understand the differences between preferred sleep times.Practicing a regular and soothing nighttime routine can help train your body to know when it’s time to unwind and go to sleep. Establish a bedtime routine: Take a warm shower, wear breathable pajamas, and adjust your room temperature before you go to bed.Schedule your workouts in the morning or at least 4 hours before bedtime. Don’t exercise late in the evening: Exercise can make you feel wired and energized, making it difficult to slow down enough to feel sleepy.Make sure to eat at least 3 hours before bedtime and no later. Avoid a heavy dinner: Spicy or fatty meals may make it uncomfortable for you to relax.Avoid having caffeine after lunch and alcohol after dinner. And although alcohol can relax you, it can also negatively affect your sleep quality and interrupt your sleep cycle by making you get up to use the bathroom during the night. Avoid alcohol or caffeine in the evenings: Caffeine can interfere with your sleep by blocking a brain chemical called adenosine that helps you sleep.Stay active throughout the day, and if you need to take a nap, keep it under 30 minutes. Avoid daytime naps: If you sleep or rest a lot during the day, you may find it tough to sleep at night.Getting some sunlight during the day may help you adjust to a new sleep schedule. Get some sunlight: Light affects your biological clock or circadian rhythm by helping your body release the hormone melatonin that regulates your sleep-wake cycle.Try a more gradual approach, such as getting up 30 minutes earlier every day for a week until you start waking up at the desired time. If you are someone who normally wakes up at 10 a.m., suddenly trying to wake up at 5 a.m. Take small steps: Make realistic goals about changing your sleep routine.And while not easy, you can train yourself to make a shift to an early bird lifestyle with the following tips: However, if you need to wake up early in the mornings for school or work, being a night owl can lead to sleep deprivation and have a harmful effect on your health. SLIDESHOW The 14 Most Common Causes of Fatigue See SlideshowĨ steps for shifting from night owl to early bird ![]() As long as you are making sure to sleep 7-9 hours each night, eating healthy, and getting enough exercise, you should be fine. While being a night owl tends to come with more negatives, if the schedule works for you, there’s no reason to change just for the sake of it. ![]()
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