Over Sleeping? Here’s How to Stop!

You know the story. You wake up feeling oddly refreshed and look over at the alarm clock and realize you only have five minutes to get to work. You rush to get your clothes on, forget about having a cup of coffee and try to get yourself together as soon as possible. Then, it’s off to the races to try and make it to work on time. It’s happened to all of us but for some, over sleeping can be a habitual problem. For people with an over sleeping problem, it can cause a lot of anxiety by putting your job, schooling and relationships at risk.
Looking to overcome over sleeping? Here are some tips to get you up on time, every time.

Set the coffee pot timer – If you’re a caffeine drinker, knowing that a cup of coffee is just a quick walk to the kitchen can be enough for someone to get up and out of bed. Plus, nothing beats waking up to the smell of freshly-brewed coffee.

Alarm clocks – Don’t just set one! Multiple alarm clocks synchronized to go off at different times is a great way to get you out of bed. Also, put one alarm in a place you can’t get to very easily. By forcing yourself to get out of bed to turn off your alarm, you’re getting out of bed and ready for the day. Also, make sure your alarm makes a sound you can’t stand. Don’t set the clock radio to your favorite station; set it to loud static or a station you can’t stand.

Bright light – It’s advantageous to go to bed with heavy, dark curtains that block the light out of your room. But, when the morning comes and it’s still really dark in your room that can inhibit your body’s ability to wake up naturally. Make sure your blinds or curtains are thick/dark enough to keep the light out of your room while you’re sleeping but allow natural light to enter in the morning.

No snoozing – This can be difficult for a habitual over sleeper. But it can be a real problem when you accidently turn off your alarm clock when you thought you were hitting snooze. Also, while you’re half asleep it’s difficult to know just how many times you’ve hit the snooze button, so you may be slapping it well after you should have gotten up.

Maintain a regular sleep schedule – Your body will naturally begin to get sleepy and wake up around the same each day if you maintain a regular sleep schedule.