Start the day awake

How we start the day is crucial for our health and daily performance. Especially on dark winter days and when working from home, we often find it difficult to get out of bed and wake up properly. We'll show you the simple tips you can use to make getting up easier, get fitter faster and overcome tiredness in the morning to be healthy and productive during the day.

Table of Contents

1. Fatigue in the morning
2. Tips for a wakeful start to the day
3. Conclusion

1. Fatigue in the morning

Many people find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning and get rid of sleepiness at night. There is also a biological reason for this: We all have an internal clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle and thus also influences how we get up.

Typical "early risers" have fewer problems with tiredness in the morning and can start the day faster. According to studies, this not only makes them more productive, but also happier. A wakeful morning is not only good for the mood, but also influences our daily form and performance.

The classic "night owls", on the other hand, take longer to get up to speed in the morning and tend to reach their peak performance in the early evening hours. Getting up early then does not correspond to the natural rhythm and, in addition to a bad mood, often causes pronounced tiredness and a slow start to the day.

With a few tips, you can make it easier for yourself to get up in the morning and start the day more awake.

2. Tips for a wakeful start to the day

#1 Getting enough sleep

Healthy sleeping habits prevent general tiredness. Important regeneration processes that prepare us for the next day take place particularly during deep sleep. So if you get enough sleep overnight, you will be fitter and have more energy in the morning. How much sleep is needed to be rested and rested in the morning is different for everyone. However, experts recommend between 7 – 8 hours of sleep per night.

#2 Regular sleep-wake cycle

Our internal clock also adapts to rhythms and routines, such as going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every morning. In this way you get your body used to a fixed rhythm and make it easier to get up in the morning and to fall asleep in the evening.

#3 Natural alarm clock: light

(Daylight) light and darkness function as an external impulse that adapts our natural inner rhythm to the natural daily routine and, among other things, influences the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. Light is therefore a natural alarm clock that can make waking up easier. For example, do without roller shutters, curtains and other blackout devices in summer and use daylight lamps or wake-up lights in winter.

#4 Avoid snooze

When the alarm finally rings, you should get up straight away and refrain from using the snooze button. Repeated "snoozing" causes the body to fall asleep again and again and is torn out of its deep sleep phase with every alarm clock ringing. This puts a strain on our brain and body, increasing sluggishness and tiredness in the morning.

Tip: Try out different alarm sounds and use your favorite song, for example, to positively influence your mood as soon as you wake up.

#5 Activity and exercise in the morning

Sport and exercise get the circulation going and offer the opportunity to wake up quickly in the morning. Just a few minutes of endurance, strength training or yoga after getting up get the blood circulation going and even relaxed breathing and stretching exercises have a positive effect on wakefulness in the morning.

#6 Healthy and balanced breakfast

It's best not to miss out on breakfast, because in the morning the body needs new nutrients to run at full speed again. A small, balanced meal rich in carbohydrates is enough to provide the body with energy after waking up and to facilitate a healthy start to the day. In addition, of course, coffee or tea can also help to wake up thanks to the caffeine it contains.

3. Conclusion

• Early risers start the day faster, are more productive and in a better mood

• Sufficient sleep and a regular sleep-wake routine make it easier to fall asleep in the evening and wake up in the morning

• Sufficient light (daylight, sunrise alarm clock) supports the waking up process in a natural way

• Get up after the alarm goes off and don't use the snooze function

• Exercise and sport in the morning get the circulation going and help against tiredness

• A small, healthy breakfast supplies the body with energy and important nutrients