Researchers have found that those who sleep past 9 am on weekdays tend to be more stressed, overweight, and depressed than those who get up by 7 am. If you have been a late riser it's not so easy to start waking up early. However, experts say it may be worth making the switch.

The Night before: Sleep Well

 Your entire nightly routine should be designed to help you fall asleep at a reasonable time. It should be relaxing and not involve too much stimuli.

 Go to bed early

Too many people put off going to bed. Getting six to eight hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep makes all the difference when getting up early and staying focused through the day.

• Switch of the laptop. One thing that will help you get to sleep early is getting off your computer at least an hour before going to bed. Once the days work is done it is advisable to turn off the laptop for the day .And don't turn it back on to do online shopping or check social media.

• Avoid TV right before going to sleep, especially the news. Let your brain have time to wind down. Read a book or write in a journal.

Get Quality Sleep

If you get deep uninterrupted quality sleep, you'll wake up more easily, need less sleep and Tips to improve your sleep quality:

• Stop Stimulants - Coffee, alcohol & nicotine interfere with sleep. Drink green tea instead of coffee, water instead of alcohol. Stop smoking.

• Avoid Big Meals Pre-bed - Big meals stress your digestive system and lower your sleep quality. Have a small pre-bed snack. Don't wake up at night to eat.

• Avoid Drinking Pre-bed - Waking up to go to the toilet interrupts your sleep and lowers its quality. Stop drinking water 2 hr prior bedtime.

• Avoid Exercise Pre-bed - Exercising less than 3 hours prior bedtime can keep you awake. Schedule your workout earlier.

• Set Right Conditions - Good mattress & pillow. Cool, dark & silent room (wear ear plugs & a sleeping mask if you have to).

The Next Day : Get up and stay up
Whatever you have to do to get out of bed, do it.

Jump Out of Bed When the Alarm Goes Off. The longer it takes you to get up, the more likely you'll try to sleep in. Get up the first time your alarm goes off.

• Stop Rationalizing - Don't lie in bed thinking of reasons to sleep longer. Get out of bed even if you feel tired. You need consistency to build the habit of waking up early.

• Stop Snoozing - Sleeping in for 10 mins leads to another 10 mins. Before you know it you've slept 2 hours more. And because you broke your sleep any extras are low quality and can make you even more tired.

• Leave The Room - Have a warm sweater or a bathrobe ready if it's cold season. Then leave the room and don't come back. Ignore the voice in your head that tells you to go back to sleep in.

If your alarm goes through four snooze rounds every morning, you're never really falling back into deep sleep. Break the cycle by putting your alarm in the other room and resisting the urge to hit snooze.

Get Light Exposure. Light stimulates dopamine production which increases energy, motivation & productivity. Lack of light causes winter blues & tiredness. Unfortunately artificial lights aren't bright enough. You need sunlight.

• Open Window Blinds - This gets you sunlight exposure when you wake up. During the day. If you work in an office where it is possible , open the window blinds and place your desk so your eyes get sunlight exposure.

• Walk Outside - A 30 min walk in the morning sunlight will stimulate the production of dopamine.

Wake Up At The Same Time Daily. It helps to become an early riser by waking up at the exact same time for 30 days . You'll be less likely to sleep in and might even wake up right before your alarm goes off. Here's how to get started:

• Wake Up At The Same Time - If you have problems catching sleep, lying awake at night while feeling tired, start by waking up at the same time daily. Even if it's late. This will stabilize your circadian rhythm.

• Wake Up Earlier - Waking up At least 2 hours before leaving for work is recommended.

• Don't Gradually Wake Up Earlier - You're body gets used to waking up early, fast. Don't wake up 15mins earlier every couple of days until you wake up whenyou want to. Go directly for your goal wake up time.

Build a Morning Ritual. This daily routine will help ease you into the habit of waking early by setting the right context : Make coffee, brush your teeth, get into the shower: whatever works for you, just make sure you do it in the same order every morning. That way you'll get into the day without having to think about it. Example:

• Wake up at 6am. Drink water. Open window blinds & windows.

• Eat breakfast and cook your food for day.

• Go to the gym, come back, eat, shower, get ready for work.

Commit For 30 Days. It takes about 30 days to build a new habit. Commit yourself to wake up at the exact same time for at least 30 days - weekends included. Consistency is the only way to build a habit.

• Use Willpower - You'll meet lots of internal resistance during the first 10 days. Use willpower to get through these. It gets easier once you begin experiencing the benefits, which is after about 20 days.

• Focus on 1 Habit - Changing many things at once usually leads nowhere. Start with waking up early, eating breakfast and exercising. Once you do this consistently for +30 days, you can build another habit.

• Be Consistent - Self-discipline isn't something you're born with. You build it. Waking up early will build self-discipline which you'll be able to use to build other habits. It starts here. Don't skip a day. No matter what.

Have a Reason To Wake Up Early. Use your extra time in the morning to do things that matter. Not for surfing the Internet or doing other tasks that won't make a difference in the long-term.

Maybe the following reasons :

• To Eat Breakfast - Key to building healthy eating habits: you'll be less likely to eat junk food the rest of the day if you eat a healthy breakfast. Read the benefits of breakfast and build the habit of eating on waking up.

• To Cook Food - Preparing your own meals gives you total control over their ingredients and thus over your results. Prepare breakfast and your food for the day on waking up.

• To Exercise - You won't miss workouts if you train in the morning: whatever comes up, you've already trained.
Write Your Goals Daily. Most people don't have goals. And those who set some forget about them within weeks. By writing down your goals daily, you'll never forget them and they'll be your reason for waking up early.

Set Goals. If you don't know what you want: start with what you don't want. Your goal is the opposite. Aim high, choose 1 goal and be specific. Example: "I don't want to be fat" "I choose to reduce my weight by 10%".

• Know Why You Want It - Avoiding pain/frustration is the best motivator. Compare the pain of waking up early to staying fat/skinny, experiencing humiliation as a result or getting life style disease because of your unhealthy diet.

• Write Your Goals twice a Day - On waking up and before going to bed. Use them as affirmations: "I choose to easily wake up at 6am", "I choose to eat breakfast and exercise each morning".

Many of us would like to be more physically fit and healthy. Yet making and implementing changes in behavior is never easy. A wellness coach can help you to set goals and work towards them, while providing the motivation and encouragement you need.