Tip #27: Do Not Go To Bed If You Do Not Feel Sleepy

Okay, this one may sound a little too obvious, but hear me out…

To wake up early in the morning you should get into a habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, but… there is one exception to this rule.

On some days you may not feel sleepy enough at the time when you usually go to bed. This often happens if your day was calm and quiet and you aren’t feeling tired. Or, in the opposite scenario, you may be so excited about something that happened to you today you simply can’t sleep.

Don’t Just Lie in Bed

If this happens to you and you are unable to sleep, don’t lie in bed awake. Get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy:

• Read a book
• Take a warm bath
• Listen to quiet music or audiobooks
• Go out to take a breath of fresh air

Don’t try to exercise in order to get tired — you shouldn’t do any active physical exercises within one hour of sleep (okay, having sex is an exception). Don’t try to solve some complex and important problems right before going to bed, because your goal should be to slow down your mental processes, not to activate and accelerate them.

The 20-Minute Rule

Ririan in his post 9 Little Known Ways To Sleep So It Counts recommends following the 20-minute rule: if you can’t fall asleep in about 20 minutes, whether at bedtime or after awakening in the night, don’t just lie in bed. Do something else, like reading, watching television, or listening to music, until you feel tired. The anxiety of being unable to fall asleep can actually contribute to insomnia.

Ririan also cites Dale Carnegie:

“If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It’s the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep.”

Only Go to Bed When You’re Ready

So one simple rule to remember from today’s tip is that you should only go to bed when you feel sleepy and so exhausted that you expect to be soundly sleeping within 5 minutes of hitting the bed.

It’s still important to wake up and get out of bed at your regular awakening time. Do not worry that your sleep will be 30 minutes shorter — your body will adjust to it. Moreover, shorter sleep today means you will fall asleep faster tomorrow.

The Early Riser Bonus

One of the great benefits in becoming an early riser and waking up early in the morning is that you will rarely have problems falling asleep in the evening.

As an office worker who spends all day in the office sitting at the computer, I had troubles falling asleep quickly. It usually took me 30 to 60 minutes to fall asleep, and then, again, I had troubles waking up early in the morning. After becoming an early riser it hardly takes me more than 5 minutes to fall asleep. I also noticed that over time the duration of my sleep shortens without losing its effectiveness. I’m sure it’s one of the positive outcomes from falling asleep quickly.

Try it and you will never regret it. Sweet dreams and happy early wake ups to you all!