Hey Queens,
Exam season is now in full swing for me and I'm finding that there's just not enough hours in the day! I'm starting to end up snoozing my alarm in the morning without even realising I'm doing it and before I know it, it's two hours later and I'm still in bed... I've got a light lamp alarm clock which used to be great for getting me up, but now I just ignore it. It's so ironic for someone who used to get up at 4:30am to train that I now struggle to even manage 6:30am!!! Any advice from you lovely people?
Much Queen Love,
Erin x
@Erin Cooper Nope I can barely get up at 8.30 never mind 6.30!!
@Erin Cooper Oh I'm the same- used to get up at 5.40 for work but now struggle to get out of bed at 8.30 some days.
One thing I'm doing at the moment is using the smart alarm on my Fitbit- it is measuring your heart rate in the 30 mins before the alarm you have set on it, and based on (I think) when it judges your rate to be lower it wakes you as it's less of a shock to the system.
Another is to place your alarm clock on the opposite side of the room or as far away from your bed as possible- if you have to physically leave your bed to turn it off you might be slightly more awake and not mindlessly go back asleep.
Have you started going to bed a lot later than you used to when you were up at 4.30 am? If you try getting to bed a bit earlier a few nights a week to get into a bit of a routine or rhythm there.
Are you sleeping well? - I'm taking magnesium at the moment to help with my sleep, if I'm in a deeper sleep for longer in the night it means the fog isn't as bad as it could be.
I'm a huge fan of a power nap during the day, a half hour here and there a few times a week might help with the overall tiredness so again less of the fog in the morning.
I'm hoping with the days getting longer too it being brighter in the mornings might help me!!
Hope that is some bit of help!!!
@Sharon Scully Thank you so much for your advice! I'm trying to step away from blue light at least an hour before bed and make sure I'm in bed by 10:30pm to try and get into a bit more of a routine (my sleep last week was awful but I was feeling really stressed so I've put it down to that!). Funny you should mention the magnesium! I had been taking it but recently ran out so I'll need to get some more because I woke up less during the night when I was taking it I think. I love a nap too! Again, my problem is a 30 min nap turns into a 2 hour mega nap but hopefully if I'm getting a better sleep during the night I'll feel more refreshed after the shortner length x
I've found Revive Active amazing! I take the original green sachet first thing every morning, especially during exam season. The difference in my energy is amazing and I find it so much easier to get up early in the morning! It's completely natural and doesn't have any caffeine so won't leave you with a slump in the afternoons either
Oh Queen, it's such a tough time at the moment, these lockdowns are relentless so it'll be having an effect on us all mentally whether we feel it or not. The queens above have nailed it. Love Sharon's idea on moving the alarm to the other side of the room and I also take magnesium before bed and I swear by it - I get a deeper too sleep so feel more refreshed!!!!
Ultimately though us Queens and the workouts will be here for you when all your exams are over or at least a good bulk are out of the way so be kind to yourself and do what you can.
big love Queen xx
@Erin Cooper im the exact same as you!! Used be up at 5:30 every morning to work out before heading to work, since the office turned into the corner of my bedroom I found it impossible to get up. My advice is turn the lighting on your phone to switch to night mode if you can (it turns off blue light between certain times) - really helps!!
I also arrange to get up at the same time as a friend so we hold eachother accountable, so much easier to get up knowing she is also!
(helps to keep your alarm away from you so you must move to get it, or make it the most obnoxious sound😂)
@Erin Cooper It can be really hard when ur so busy so definitely look after urself. Getting up can be hard but if u can push through at all once u are out of the bed will be fine. It's like anything once u have done for a couple days it gets a lot easier, prep clothes nite before and have water and area set so all u have to do is arrive to ur area. It will also give u a few mins extra in bed. If u had two alarms first one to give u a few mins prep to get up and second one place on top of clothes that way u will have to get out and go to it. Hope it get easier for u xx
@Erin Cooper yeah I feel like it can be tough these days to be honest. I'd say try ease yourself in slowly that's what I've been doing and I'll allow myself a lie in usually Saturday and Sunday.
I like to get my wee diary out and plan the week and actually write down what time I want to get up at on each days and I feel like that helps because when things are in writing I'm far more likely to stick to them 😂🙌🏻
Like@Sharon Scully said I've also been using the smart wake on my Fitbit and I find if it goes off when I'm actually awake I'll be more likely to get up.
Usually my bladder gets me out of bed most mornings but not sure how that can be helpful here 😂😂
I'd also say don't snooze the alarm! I'm awful for snoozing it and I just find I feel worse afterwards! After the alarm goes off I count to ten (sometimes 20) then just Chuck the duvet off and get up. I usually tend to turn on my bedside lamp straight after my alarm goes off also (even though I'll keep my eyes closed or burried under the duvet for a few seconds afterward lol)
I also have a "Monday Morning" playlist on Spotify which I put on some mornings when I've just woken up to try and get me up and feeling positive 💛 Another thing I do is if I get out of bed to go to the loo or anything I'll straight away pull the curtains and make my bed because it stops me from getting back in 😅😂😂
Also the best thing I can recommend is set a time in the evening where you'll get rid of your phone and start getting ready for bed so that you'll actually fall asleep nice and early!
i hope this helps a little bit queen, it can be a struggle especially when the mornings are dark and we're feeling like there's nothing to get up for but we'll get there 🤞🏻❤️
Thanks for posting this, I really struggle with my sleeping pattern. I wake up 5 minutes before I need to be in front of my laptop for work. I end up feeling like a zombie for the first couple of hours. Really want to get a good morning routine in. So hard when it's dark and cold at the moment too!
Everyone' advice is really helpful!
@Erin Cooper awwww i struggle so much in the mornings......
Wow queens I'm so gonna try these this too, thanks so much...
And yes I'm on my phone by i sleep.....damn it!!!! 😇😇😇
oh @Erin Cooper Its a tough old cookie I agree... I did a blog post on sleep habbits which might help you get to sleep. I struggly in the mornings also but I find that setting my alarm 5 mins earlier every few days or every week has helped me alot, I now wake around 7:15 but before I was getting up at 8:45 ..
I also have a lumi alarm which sometimes drives me crazy but it really wakes me up. I have black out curtains so my room is very dark, the lumi alarm wakes you up to a gradual light like sunrise and then these damn birds singing lol I couldnt get the radio to work on it... Anyway I got that on amazon and I find it so much better than a phone alarm that you can snooze becuase its harder to turn off.
I also have the lumi alarm set at 10-12 mins fast so Im never sure what actual time it is but know that I need up...
I take Mag365 at night time too which aids in recovery and I highly reccomend it for trying to get to sleep
Great advice from every body and I hope you get sorted but dont be hard on yourself, remember you are you doing your very best and trying
Thank you all so much for your advice! I'm going to be trying out all the different suggestions over the next few days. Love the accountability idea! Usually, I'd have my boyfriend there to help chuck me out the bed, but obviously can't see him just now. So will definitely ask him to be my accountability partner! Thanks so much again- love this community so much!
Such great advice! I work 8am to 6.30pm and it is full on all day! By the time I finish work I don't want to workout and unfortunately the excuses get the best of me. I know I would be better off working out in the morning which means a 6.30am wake up so I am not rushed but getting up before 7am is such a mental battle for me... the cold weather doesn't help when it is so cosy in bed 😂 Definitely going to try these suggestions! Think the biggest for me will be not using my phone before bed, such a bad habit!
