What is the best time to wake up? Some overenthusiastic people think it’s 4 am, and some are generous enough with their sleep to make it 10 am. Frankly speaking, it’s neither. I wouldn’t advise you to wake up as early as 4 or as late as 10. Actually, the best time to get up lays somewhere between 4 am and 8 pm.
Where exactly?
It depends on your schedule. It also depends on the time you go to bed. Ideally, I would advise you to sleep at 9 pm and get up at 5 am. This time would be the perfect recipe for good health and fitness. However, as they say, nobody in this world is perfect! This schedule of going to bed and getting up may not be feasible or practical for some of you. So, we need to find a balance while trying to match this timing keeping in mind our routine. Here are some factors you should consider for finding the best time to wake up.
The time to leave for your school, or work
Morning hours are rush hours. Most of us struggle to leave home at the right time to be able to reach office or school comfortably without being a ‘Formula 1’ racer while driving. If you want to get ready before the planned time to leave your home, try to get up at least 2 hours prior.
Of these 2 hours, you can keep aside one hour for morning rituals such as brushing, bathing, preparing and having breakfast, etc. Devote about half an hour to 40 minutes to your health. Use this time to exercise and meditate.
The remaining time can provide a breather in case you meet any time-consuming hurdles such as ironing your clothes, or re-preparing a messed-up breakfast. If you manage to get ready before the scheduled time, you can utilize it as a perfect family time. Chat with your loved ones and pick up the conversation from where you left it the day before to achieve a perfect work-life balance.
The time you go to bed
Though there is no ideal time to go to bed or to rise, there is definitely an ideal duration of hours for which you should sleep. Try to get sleep for at least 8 hours daily. Schedule your morning alarm based on your sleeping time.
If you usually sleep at 9 pm, set the morning alarm at 5 am. This would ensure your body gets enough rest for 8 hours. It will keep you fresh and energetic throughout the day in case your sleeping surface is comfortable. However, if your working hours include late evening and you can get to bed only at midnight, do not try any stunt of getting up as early as 5. You should still aim at an 8-hour sleep and set the alarm at 8 am.
Your dinner time
The time you get up depends on the time you go to sleep and the later, in turn, depends on the time you have dinner. Keep a gap of at least 2 hours between dinner and bedtime. I would advise you to not ignore this aspect of your sleeping time because your digestive system needs enough time to break down the food you ate for dinner to avoid any discomfort. Also, consider that stomach sleepers should eat not later that 3 hours before sleep to ensure comfortable sleep and good digestion. If you are interested how to choose the mattress for your sleeping position – check this out
Going to bed soon after eating can cause the food in the stomach to regurgitate into the esophagus. The acidic contents of the stomach can cause damage to the delicate, inner lining of the esophagus resulting in heartburn. It can also cause sour eructations and burning pain in the chest.
These symptoms can interfere with your sleep and prevent you from getting up at the scheduled time in the morning. That is why; it is important to keep a gap of at least 2 hours between dinner and bedtime. This will allow you to sleep well and get up early in the morning.
Plan your sleeping schedule keeping in mind these factors. This will help you to get sound sleep every night and ease your activities during the daytime. Getting up early in the morning will bestow you with several benefits such as:
- Better productivity at work
- Improved mental fitness
- Bigger scores in exams
- Brighter world
- A happier and relaxed state of mind
- Stronger family bonding
If you want to achieve these benefits, do try to get up early in the morning between 5 to 8 am depending on your schedule. Planning your nighttime hours will play a role in carving a road towards success by bringing about positive changes in your daytime activities.
