Proverbs 31:15-17 “She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong”
It seems as though many people are programmed to sleep late and there is a lot to be said for getting up early. You never again have to worry about being late for work. You have extra time to get things accomplished before everyone else gets up. Maybe this can even be that ever elusive “me” time.
Can you really turn yourself into an early riser if you’ve always been a night owl? Of course! This will require a little time and effort; any routine is hard to break. Habits that you’ve been following for many years tend to be even more challenging to alter; but we humans are adaptable creatures. You can always teach yourself new ways to do things.
Here’s a sure-fire process to change your sleep pattern quickly:
- Pray to God about it. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and the rest will be added to you” Matthew 6:33. Before you make any decisions, seek God and ask if this aligns in his will. When you realize that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength, big mountains seem easier to cross over because he carries us.
- Figure out how much sleep you really need. Everyone has a unique number of hours they require to feel their best. For this example, let’s assume you need seven hours of solid sleep. Try using the sleep/wake-up tracker on the iPhone or any type to create sleep goals. You can use this tool to track your sleep habits and/or create a diary to help you find the perfect sufficient amount of hours.
- What is your ideal time to get up every day? In your perfect world, what time would you get up every morning? Maybe you want to get up at 5:00 am so you can go for a run or practice your guitar. If you want to have enough energy for the day and be wide awake and alert, try going to be earlier than you usually would. Create the atmosphere that you would need to enjoy a good nights worth of rest. Set the mood in your bedroom. Dim the lights, set the white noise machine, (I like to listen to rain sounds on my HomePod,) you can spray a lavender spray on your linens, this is time for your body to repair and heal.
- Pick your bedtime. Do the math. For our example, you would need to be asleep by 10:00 pm. Try winding down from the day but by shutting down your mind. Make a list of the things you need to complete for the next day earlier so you don’t have to rush in the evening or following morning.
- Stick to the schedule. Until you’ve made a habit out of your new hours, you’re going to have to be strong. Using our example, you’d want to be in bed by 10:00 pm, no matter what. Now if you’re use to going to bed at 2:00 am, you’ll probably be lying there for a while, at least at first. You can also be sure that the alarm will not be a welcomed event.
- Avoid doing activities or work in the bedroom. Treat your bedroom like a bedroom, not an office! You want to feel like when you walk into the room, it’s time to rest and not continue to be busy.
- Tips: Getting up on time is critical. Will you be tired? Yes. However, that’ll just make going to bed at your new time tonight seem that much easier. There are two tips below or suggestions that I have realized thus being a godly woman pursing to wake up at 5:00am 🙂 that I realized would happen:
- No naps. Naps are okay if you normally take them. But don’t start adding naps to your new schedule! Otherwise, you may not be tired at your new bedtime.
- Optional: Forget all the above. Many have reported better luck with the following simplified plan: simply go to bed when you’re tired, but always get up at the new wake-up time. At the very least, you’ll avoid lying in bed for hours trying to fall asleep.
Regardless of which method you choose, hang in there! Although this will be challenging for about a week, you’ll be a changed person.
And remember, developing any new habit will take some time. Even though you’ll feel pretty good after a week, for the first month or so, you may find backsliding all too easy, particularly on the weekends or a day off from your work or holidays. The early morning has much to offer that the late riser misses. You’ll see things outside you don’t normally see. Most wildlife tends to be more active at dawn. People are out walking their pets or jogging. Maybe you’ll even find someone with whom you can take a nice walk every morning. - You can change any habit with a little commitment. Developing a new sleep schedule is no different. Follow either of the methods presented and you’ll be an early riser in no time!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it! Thank you so much Lord for this day, to be able to wake up and serve you. I pray Lord that You help us as the body of Christ to be like the woman who rises early and takes care of her family and herself. She is a woman who is prepared and organized Lord! Give us a quality of being hardworking and diligent. No matter if we don’t exactly wake up at 5:00am please help us to use our time wisely and effectively.
For your glory oh King.
Is His name I pray. Amen.