Im with Ben Franklin who, as most of us know, said, Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Good thing for me, rising at the crack of dawn has never been an issue; my body clock jolts to wakefulness around six am and I cant wait to brew that morning cup of Joe, watch the sunrise as color sweeps across the sky, and click on my computer to read last nights mail and todays news. There are also plenty of night owls who get their mojo on after Ive crawled into bed. It many cases, its a choice driven by biology or chronotype.
Chronotype is the set of circadian factors that determine whether youre a morning person or an evening person. Humans have been defined in terms of three major circadian types. The three types are "morning," "evening" and "indifferent" or "mid-range". The first two categories each represent approximately 15% to 20% of the human population and the "indifferent" or "mid-range" category applies to the majority (60% to 70%) of humans.
Since its built into our DNA, why should we mess with nature and try to awaken at the break of day?
There are scientifically based health reasons for waking early. Morning is when our blood sugar levels are the lowest. Youve gone all night without food and your brain is off-kilter. Low blood sugar really affects your mood (adversely). Getting up three hours early allows you to preempt the blood sugar low and prematurely cut it off, head it off at the pass. Also, levels of the stress hormone cortisol are naturally highest in the early morning and when many people wake up. Waking up before cortisol levels peak allows you to save yourself from feeling stressed out.
Waking early also gives you a powerful start to your day for other reasons.Light on the horizon is inspiring to greet your day with gratitude which studies shows makes us generally happier and more positive people. This is what the Dali Lama say each morning: today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much as I can. You neednt bolt out of bed because youre rushing to get going and youre late. Now you have time to stretch in bed, think about the day ahead and then rise and get a real jump on your chores. You can enjoy the peace and quiet: Little traffic outdoors, no television or radio blasting and if you have kids or other family members in the house, theyre still tucked in bed which means no requests. This is time just for you.You get to catch the amazing sunrise. Pitch turns to teal blue which eventually reveals the day filled light. Its inspiring.Time for breakfast. If you get up before the day breaks you can enjoy this meals namesake. And, youll have the time to make real oatmeal or whatever perks your appetite. Dont skip it. Luxuriate in breakfast. Its the most important meal of the day.You cant beat morning exercise. Of course, there are other times to exercise besides the early morning. But now you dont have the hassles of the day behind you along with a million excuses. Research shows those who exercise in the morning, are more likely to stick to a set routine. You can get stuff done. Researchs show were most productive in the mid mornings. So you can line up your tasks upon awakening and be prepared when the jolt of can-do energy is peaking. Or use this time to tap into your creative side and keep a morning journal. You can also record your dreams.What if youre not an early bird?Start slowly. Set the alarm just 15 minutes before you usually awaken and then each week increase it by another fifteen minutes until youre making sunrise.Go to bed earlier. Rather than burning the night oil, tuck in and drift off. Drag yourself away from the television and computer sooner, rather than later. Reading is okay. Dont hit the snooze button. Make sure its not within easy reach and as soon as the alarm rings, pull yourself out of bed and leave the room. At the start of this process, you may need to force yourself. Eventually, it will become second nature. Give yourself a good reason to awaken early. Before you go to sleep, write down something you want to accomplish when you wake up.Robin Westen is ThirdAges medical reporter. Check her daily updates. She is the author of Ten Days to Detox: How to Look and Feel a Decade Younger.See what others have to say about this story or leave a comment of your own.
