How to Get Up the First Time Your Alarm Sounds

I frequently find myself reexamining content contained in blog posts I wrote years ago. During the past few weeks, the post I’ve been considering is about getting up the first time your alarm goes off.

I wish I could say that I mastered this after writing about it seven years ago. It seemed that I had—I did quite well for years. However, I’ve been struggling recently. It takes several alarms to get me out of bed these days! The things I wrote in that post are relevant to my current situation, so I am going to revisit them and then add a few additional ideas.

Why should I get up when my alarm sounds?

Because everyone has different preferences and needs, many individuals may not want or need to get out of bed when their alarms first sound. Unfortunately, this is not the case for me. I really need to get up. There are several reasons for this:

• There are things I need to do. I don’t set my alarm for a random time. I set it to go off at a particular time because I have things I need to accomplish. These things won’t get completed if I hit snooze repeatedly.
• I get poor quality sleep between alarms. Even though I’m getting a few extra minutes of sleep when I don’t get up right when my alarm sounds, this sleep isn’t of good quality. It’s not the same deep, restorative sleep that one gets during a full sleep cycle.
• Sometimes I stay in bed because I’m being lazy, not because I need more sleep. While there certainly are times when I have a difficult time getting up because I am tired, there are other times when I don’t get up because I don’t want to. Being tired is a good reason to get some additional sleep. Feeling lazy, on the other hand, isn’t the best reason to lounge around in bed.
• Getting up when my alarm goes off sets a good tone for my day. The way in which I get up seems to affect my whole day. When I dawdle and drag my feet while getting up, I tend to have lackluster and unproductive days. However, when I get up when my alarm sounds, I tend to be more enthusiastic and have productive days.

How to get out of bed when the alarm sounds

Here are strategies I have found effective in helping me get up the first time my alarm sounds.

Go to bed earlier

I realize this sounds like a no-brainer, but sometimes we overlook the obvious. When fatigue is the reason why I have trouble getting up, it means I need more sleep. I need to get up at a certain time, so I can’t get additional sleep in the morning. I must do this at night. I know this isn’t always possible, especially if you have young kids, but it’s so beneficial. I’ve found that it’s easier to get up even if I’m only able to get to bed 15 or 20 minutes earlier.

Get a good night’s sleep

Like going to bed earlier, this is an obvious way to make sure that being tired isn’t why it’s difficult to get up. A lot goes into getting good quality sleep, so this can often be easier said than done. There are many things, including routines and the bedroom environment, to consider. You can read a summary of these things in a post I wrote two years ago.

9 Simple Strategies for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Make it light

It is easier to wake up when there is light pouring in the windows than when it is pitch black. I get up before the sun rises, so I set a lamp on a timer so it comes on just before my alarm sounds. This light isn’t bright enough to be obnoxious, but it gives off a soft glow that helps me feel awake and alert when I open my eyes.

Make turning the alarm off a challenge

If it takes a lot of effort to shut my alarm off, then I am likely to wake up. One way to make it difficult to shut off the alarm is to place it some distance away. I often do this. Having to sit up and move to get to the alarm is usually enough to make me alert. In the past, an effective strategy was using a setting on my phone that required me to place a few numbers in ascending order before the alarm would stop sounding. This was helpful! Though I haven’t tried any of these, there are several novel alarm clocks available that are difficult to turn off and/or ignore, including alarm clocks on wheels and ones that shake the bed. The point is to make yourself work a bit, which gets your mind and body primed for getting up.

Keep a bottle of water and something inspirational next to the alarm clock

When I drink a sip of water right after turning the alarm off, it makes me feel alert. Likewise, having something inspirational near my alarm (for me, this is usually a note regarding the first things I need to get done or a reminder of an important appointment) helps remind me of why I need to get up and get moving. For you, something inspirational might be a quote, a Bible verse, or a picture of your kids. Go with whatever works for you! You can also include a small, healthy snack with the water if that helps provide additional incentive to get up or increases your level of alertness.

Maintain the same schedule on weekends

The idea of sleeping in on the weekends is nice. However, experts say that it is best to maintain the same sleep-wake schedule on weekends because it maintains the timing of the body’s internal clock, making it easier to get up on time. I always remind myself of this when my kids are up bright and early on the weekends!

Final thoughts

I think most individuals will find at least a couple of these strategies to be helpful, but if getting out of bed continues to be difficult, you might want to check with your doctor. There are many health issues that can affect sleep (medication side effects, sleep apnea, heartburn, cardiovascular disease, thyroid conditions, etc.). If simple solutions don’t make getting out of bed any easier, then it might be time to further investigate what is making it so difficult to get up.

Does it matter to you if you get up the first time your alarm sounds? Why or why not? If it matters, what things help you get up right away?

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Busy Monday and Encouraging Hearts and Home.