Ways to Make Waking Up Easier

Lydia Dawson, Co-Editor in Chief

At this point in the school year, waking up excruciatingly early is the worst part of every day, and all you want is “just ten more minutes.” But no matter how many times you press the snooze button, it doesn’t change the inevitable fact that school starts at 7:25, and you’ll have to get up at some point. However, there are a couple tricks that could make that much easier.

1. Keep Your Alarm on the Other Side of Your Room

It’s so easy to just roll over and press snooze, but that’s definitely not the way to get yourself out of bed. If you keep your alarm, whether it be a clock, your phone, etc., on the other side of the room, the constant ringing will eventually trick your body into getting up to turn it off. Sometimes all you need are those first steps, and after that it’s likely you’ll just stay out of bed and get ready.

2. Buy a Shock Watch

Though voluntary pain may seem a bit extreme, a shock watch is a great investment for those who really need that extra jolt of energy in the morning. Shock watches are made for anyone with a bad habit, and sleeping in can definitely be classified as one of those. It feels like a simple zap of energy, and the pain isn’t too intense, but is still a sure fire way to get you up. It’s a great way to get your senses going, and is sure to get you out of bed in the morning. They do cost upwards of $100, however, so you might want to do your research before deciding whether it’s necessary for you or not.

Wareable

3. Eat Breakfast

If you asked your average, run of the mill highschooler if they ate breakfast, chances are their answer would be no. In fact, only 36% of high schoolers eat breakfast on a daily basis. Some say there’s no time for that, or they’re just not hungry that early in the morning. But in reality, eating breakfast is extremely important to help you wake up, and could be all you need to get your day going. Even though it seems like a chore, your parents aren’t wrong when they say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

4. Power Down Before Bed

Many high schoolers wind down before bed by checking social media or watching Netflix, but this leads to restless sleep. Getting a bad night’s sleep will only make it harder to get up in the morning, so set a reminder to turn off all devices at least an hour before bed. It sounds tedious, but will help you not only get up on time, but feel more energized and ready for the day ahead.

5. Never Hit the Snooze Button

It’s easy to press the snooze button when all you want is to stay in bed for just a little bit longer, but it’s important to remember that doing this will only make it harder to get up. So instead, when your first alarm goes off, turn a light on, or just take those first couple steps. You don’t have to be jumping out of bed with an unerasable smile on your face, but this is always the hardest part, and it’s important to just get it over with.

6. Get an App

There are plenty of apps that will help you wake up in the morning, some just being a simple alarm. One app, called Sleep Cycle, studys your sleeping habits with a microphone and wakes you up during the lightest sleeping phase. You choose a range of thirty minutes for it to wake you up in, and it will only let you snooze until that thirty minutes is up. There are even more features available with a premium membership, which costs $29.99 a year, but a one month free trial is also available.

As the school year trudges on, waking up becomes more and more of a chore and is easier said than done most days. So if all else fails, remember this: waking up can be the hardest part of any given day, and sometimes all it takes are those first couple of steps to get you “up and at ’em” in the morning.