Regular Sleep Patterns Reinforce the Circadian Rhythm
Waking upat the same time every daycan help improve your sleep.
The path to better sleep starts by learning how to wake up at the same time every day.
This article explains how waking up at the same time every day can improve your sleep.
Verywell / Cindy Chung
once you nail selected your wake time, consider whether it is feasible.
This isn’t about making yourself an early bird if you start out as a night owl.
Society may pressure you into believing thatwaking earlieris somehow better and reflective of a hard-working nature.
However, plenty of successful people stay up until 2 a.m. and sleep in until 10 a.m.
Consider your own body and your own needs.
Anchoring With Morning Sunlight
Why does it matter to wake up at the same time every day?
Think of your wake time as the anchor to your day.
Our bodies follow acircadian rhythmand this relies on consistency.
This light exposure reinforces the body’s circadian rhythm.
Waking at the same time every day will actually help you to sleep better at night.
A fixed wake time helps to build a strong desire for sleep throughout wakefulness.
This may causeSunday night insomnia.
A fixed wake time is especially important for people who have difficulty falling or staying asleep, characteristic ofinsomnia.
With improved sleep, insomnia and sleep deprivation may be decreased.
You cannothit the snooze buttonand stay in bed for an hour or even nine minutes.
You want consistency, and this requires ruling yourself with an iron fist.
It may be necessary to set multiple alarms or even initially enroll someone else to help get you up.
for track your success, you’re free to record your bedtime and wake time on asleep log.
This information will be useful as you implement further changes to improve your sleep.
Poor sleep commonly occurs in the context of another sleep disorder.
Most often, insomnia and sleep apnea may be causing persistent troubles.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About sleep.
doi:10.1289/ehp.116-a160
Kryger MH,et al.Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine.
2016;165(2):125-133. doi:10.7326/M15-2175
