4 reasons why waking up early helps you conquer your day

Are you a morning lark or a night owl? Do you love watching the sun creep over the horizon, or feeling the calm of the world at midnight? If you answered “night owl,” you might be missing out a few important benefits.

Making a change to your sleep schedule isn't like flipping a switch. Unless there's a good reason to get up with the rest of the larks, that snooze button is getting the smackdown every time. Here are a few great reasons to crank that alarm clock backward and reclaim the morning.

Hitting Your Stride

Whether you wake up early or late, it takes time to get the juices flowing. Late risers tend to squeeze out every last drop of sleep—dashing out the door, grabbing whatever food is quickest, and meeting the day already stressed out.

Early risers get a jump on the day. Having the extra time to get ready fully before the pace picks up, allows room for you to conquer your work day, get better grades, and feel more control over your daily life.

Productivity

Are morning people actually more productive because they work harder? Not necessarily. According to Harvard biologist Christoph Randler, early risers can be more productive because of one big advantage: they’re up at the times where our bodies are naturally more productive - during the morning and the afternoon. Changing your schedule, and waking up early can help you do your best work, when it is most effective and most appreciated.

Mood Fortitude

Waking up early reduces stress and increases positivity throughout the day. In a recent study, evening types were more susceptible to unhealthy behaviors. Morning types are more associated with optimism and resilience. Another study revealed improvements in depression and sleep quality when people changed to an earlier sleep-wake cycle.

Exercise

Your willpower is like a tank that gets drained throughout the day. At the end of the day, you go to sleep and it gets filled up again. If you typically wait to exercise until evening, your willpower tank is running on fumes and those running shoes might stay in the closet. Reserve half an hour in the morning and you're more likely to lace up.

Make the Change

While everyone is predisposed to certain sleep patterns, it is possible to change your sleep schedule. The key is doing it incrementally—if you set your alarm back an hour all at once, you're more likely to fail. Try moving your wake time just a few minutes a day and you'll be a lark before you know it!