sleep – HabitHacks https://blog.lift.do The power of small changes to make big results Sun, 11 Apr 2021 07:15:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://blog.lift.do/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/cropped-Screenshot-1-32x32.png sleep – HabitHacks https://blog.lift.do 32 32 How to Get At Least 8 Hours Sleep Each Night https://blog.lift.do/how-to-get-at-least-8-hours-sleep-each-night/ Sun, 11 Apr 2021 07:15:07 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2092 Read ]]> Over and over again, research has documented why sleeping eight hours or more each night is important. Good sleep boosts your mental, physical, and emotional health, improves the quality of your life, reduces the risk of injury, and keeps your immune system strong and healthy. 

There are several pieces on the internet advising how to sleep on time and wake up early. But how does one make sure they get at least eight hours of sleep each night? This post discusses some important tips you can apply right now to improve the quality of your sleep and guarantee that you get at least eight hours of sleep each night.

Maintain consistency

Go to sleep at the same time each night. This helps in boosting your consistency of going to bed at a fixed time each day and helps adjust your sleep cycle. This also sends signals to your body that you can get up at the same time each morning. Keep the consistency up even on the weekends.

Avoid naps

It might be tempting to take a nap after lunch, but naps not only reduce your productivity during the day, but also prevent you from falling asleep earlier at night. 

If you’re trying to get good quality sleep for eight hours each night, avoid taking naps after 3 p.m. Even if you feel it’s of utmost importance to do so, don’t nap longer than 20 minutes.

Alcohol might be the issue

Coffee and alcohol — the so-called “necessities” of modern life are the biggest enemies of a good night’s sleep. It’s not easy to give up on alcohol, but with time and consistent effort, you can get rid of your alcohol addiction

The same is true for coffee. Even if you feel like you absolutely need to have coffee, take all steps to stay away from caffeine and alcohol late in the day.

No smoking

Avoid nicotine completely. Studies have shown that smoking too much activates the chemicals in your body that keep you alert during the day and disrupt your sleeping patterns. It might be difficult to avoid smoking completely, but there are some steps you can take to stop smoking.

Get regular exercise

Make exercise a part of your daily routine. Studies have shown that working out for a fixed duration for at least 4 days a week can have incredible results in helping you maintain a consistent sleep schedule. But if you want to fall asleep on time, make sure you complete your workout at least 2–3 hours before your bedtime.

Don’t eat a heavy meal late in the day

Eating a heavy dinner two hours or lesser before bedtime can disrupt your sleeping pattern and prevent you from falling asleep on time. So, eat a light dinner and wait at least a few hours before going to bed. A light snack before bedtime is okay.

Miscellaneous tips

Here are some other miscellaneous tips to help you fall asleep quicky and get at least eight hours of sleep each night:

  1. Make your bedroom comfortable. It should be dark and quiet. The temperature should be maintained at optimum, and it shouldn’t be too warm or cold.
  2. Follow a night-time routine to help you relax before sleep. This could be journaling, writing your to-do list for the next day, and playing some relaxing music. Turn off your phone, computer, and other screens at least an hour before bedtime.
  3. Get a habit tracker and mark all days on it where you manage to sleep for eight hours each night. Soon, you’ll get addicted to seeing the streak going on. There’s something magical about having an unbroken streak. It can make you feel accomplished and motivated to keep working.
  4. Get an accountability partner. When you’re starting a new habit, it becomes much easier if you have someone to keep you accountable. This can be a friend with whom you’ve started the habit together or a certified coach who can help you identify your excuses and make sure you don’t give up on yourself. You can find yourself a certified coach from this directory of accountability coaches.
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How to Get Out Of Bed The First Time The Alarm Goes Off https://blog.lift.do/how-to-get-out-of-bed-the-first-time-the-alarm-goes-off/ Sat, 03 Apr 2021 06:19:40 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2074 Read ]]> Are you someone who requires to set the alarm every five minutes for about an hour before you can actually get out of bed?

Have you missed important assignments and turned up late to meetings because you kept snoozing your alarm phone?

Are you tired of waking up tired and have developed serious hate for your alarm tone?

If your answer to one or more of these questions was “yes,” this article is for you.

From where you are right now, it might seem impossible to do what the title of this post claims: get out of bed the first time the alarm goes off. But with discipline, proper planning, and smart habit building, you can do it. Here’s are some tips on how you can achieve this.

1. Appreciate your mornings

Instead of waking up with a grumpy face, learn to appreciate your mornings. Here’s how you can do it:

  • Set your clothes for the day ready by your bedside.
  • Clean up your workspace and room so you can have good vibes while waking up.
  • Sleep near the window so you can remove the curtains as soon as you wake up and bask in the light of the new day.
  • Plan or prepare your breakfast in advance, so you don’t have to spend precious time and energy wondering how to sate those early morning hunger pangs.
  • If you’re looking for practical tips to wake up early each day, check this article out.

7 Hacks to Wake Up Early Each Day – HabitHacks
1. Shift your bedtime a few hours earlier Getting up early might seem like such a chore, but sleeping early is much…blog.lift.do

2. Choose a nice alarm tone

Instead of the blaring, jarring music you might currently have on your phone, switch to a sound you actually enjoy. That way, even if you’re in the middle of a great dream, you won’t be jostled out of it by some unwelcome tone. You can feel the sleep leave you in waves as your mind and body prepare to wake up and tackle another day.

3. Have a reason to wake up

This is easier said than done, but if you have a purpose or a reason why you’re waking up and genuinely enjoy that reason, you won’t feel the need to snooze the alarm clock.

Even if you’re stuck in a job you hate, you can create a reason to wake up by stealing some time off for yourself in the morning. This will be your “me time,” and you design it however you wish to. You can take the care and go out for a short drive before the hustle of the city begins. Or you can cook a nice breakfast and have it while watching your favorite web series.

The possibilities are endless. All you need to do is invest in some self-care.

4. Go to bed earlier

This is a no-brainer because, of course, going to sleep early will help you wake up early. But if you’re a chronic late-sleeper, this might be a bigger struggle than you imagined.

Shifting your bedtime early by even twenty minutes can have great benefits. You can do it in a staggered fashion — push your bedtime early by twenty minutes every week. Within two months, you’ll already be sleeping more than an hour earlier than your usual time.

Sure, this is a time taking process, but you’re building a new habit, not racing against yourself. Have patience, and you will see through,

5. Drink some water

Drinking water before sleep might very well act as your natural alarm clock. As you fill your belly with water, your bladder will protest in the morning, and you’ll wake up with the urge to attend nature’s call. 

Once you step out of bed ad rush to the bathroom, all it takes is a small ounce of willpower to not jump back into bed again but to power up and start the new day afresh.

6. Get an accountability partner

Having someone who is building the same habit with you is a great motivator. However, depending on where you work and how your friends are, it’s difficult to find a friend with the same goals. In that case, it’s best to hire an accountability coach to help keep you on track with your habit-building goals. These are trained individuals who will hold you accountable for your promises and help you get back on track if you ever fall off the wagon.

You can also download a habit tracker and mark all days on the calendar when you successfully stick to your new habit. An unbroken streak is a source of pride and will force you to push yourself even harder to keep your goals on track.

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7 Tips to Wake Up At 6.30 AM Each Day https://blog.lift.do/7-tips-to-wake-up-at-6-30-am-each-day/ Thu, 01 Apr 2021 11:23:56 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2064 Read ]]>

Waking up early is a great way to keep up your spirits and feel energized for the rest of the day by putting in minimal effort. So many people from across hundreds of countries have expressed interest to wake up at 6.30 AM every day. 

Even though this is such an important habit, several people struggle to accomplish this. This post discusses seven easy steps you can apply to your life right now to wake up at 6.30 AM each morning. These are science-backed tips you can add to your life from today onwards and watch the visible change it brings to your overall physical and mental health.

1. Shift your bedtime a few hours earlier

Getting up early might seem like such a chore, but sleeping early is much easier. Shift your bedtime a few hours earlier and see the magic for yourself. This will train your body to wake up early.

If you go to bed late each day, forcing yourself to wake up early might be a health risk as most adults need 7–8 hours of sleep each night. But going to bed early will make sure you don’t sleep less, while at the same time enable you to wake up early.

2. Don’t use any devices before bed

Keep your phone, computer, or iPad in another room before coming to bed. This way, you won’t be distracted and keep checking notifications each time you get reminded of something. Also, science has proved time and again that the light from screens damages the quality of your sleep.

You can get rid of this problem with a simple step: unplug all your devices before going to bed and keep them in a separate room.

3. Eat nothing at least 2 hours before going to bed

Late-night snacking could be your biggest enemy. It’s easy to confuse exhaustion with hunger, so even if you crave that delicious snack before going to bed, be strong-willed and say no to the craving.

Several studies have proven that late-night snacks can cause acid reflux and interfere with the quality of your sleep. They can also make you feel worse about yourself, leading to overthinking which might not let you sleep on time.

4. Sleep with your curtains open

While this might seem like an extreme measure, this is a great way to wake up early in the morning without having to set an alarm clock.

The natural light coming in through the windows would wake you up better than any alarm tone, and also leave you feeling energized and excited throughout the day.

5. Place your alarm clock across the room

Again, this might seem like an extreme step, but keeping your alarm across the room will push you get out of bed if you want to get rid of that annoying alarm tone the first thing in the morning.

As you get out of bed, you get a chance to stretch your limbs, while will help you rub some of that sleep off your eyes. This can also be an exceptionally valuable routine if you keep multiple alarms, and have to jump out of bed every five minutes to turn each of them off.

6. Set a night routine

A night routine might sound like a chore, but do it right, and it can be the biggest act of self-care you indulge in throughout the day.

A night routine can be something as simple as reading a book for thirty minutes each night. Or you can even incorporate elaborate tasks like lighting a candle, washing your face and wearing a face mask, etc.

It depends upon you what routine you pick. Either way, you’ll have something to look forward to each night, and the routine will train your body to feel tired and immediately fall asleep once it’s complete.

7. Track your waking up early habits

Using a habit tracker to mark the days you woke up early can be an excellent way to make sure you don’t fall off the wagon. Seeing a streak of several days would be an excellent motivation to keep pushing yourself. It can also serve as a reminder of what you are capable of and how much remains to be done before you can reach where you’re supposed to.

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8 Tricks to Sleep By Midnight Each Day https://blog.lift.do/8-tricks-to-sleep-by-midnight-each-day/ Sat, 13 Mar 2021 08:09:24 +0000 https://blog.lift.do/?p=2013 Read ]]> Science has time and again proved the many benefits of going to bed early. If you fall asleep by midnight, you can wake up by 8 the next morning and start your day with gusto.

However, this is easier said than done. Many people struggle to fall asleep early. They lie in bed for hours but never manage to fall asleep. And before they know it, it’s already 2 AM and too late.

This post discusses eight tricks you can apply right now to fall asleep by midnight each day. You can also tailor each trick to suit your lifestyle.

1. Control your breathing 

Use the 4–4–4–4 breathing method. Inhale to the count of 4. Hold to the count of 4. Then exhale to the count of 4, and finally hold for 4 more counts before inhaling and repeating the process again.

When your brain in concentrated on regulating your breathing, you can clear it of all other thoughts. This will help you calm down and fall asleep easily.

2. Maintain a schedule

Going to bed and waking up at the same time day after day helps keep your circadian rhythm in check and your body gets more easily adjusted to the new sleeping patterns. Once you get adjusted to this new schedule, you’ll find it easier to maintain it.

You can also download a habit tracker to track all the days you went to bed early. This will help you be proud f yourself for maintaining a streak and hence, even less likely to break the rhythm.

3. Expose yourself to natural light

Spend a few moments with nature during the day. Breathe in the fresh air, say thanks to the sunlight for illuminating your day, and revel in the glroies of daylight.

In the same way, spend time outdoors after dinner. Your body will understand it’s night and naturally adjust to sleeping on time. As this post by Healthline suggests, research shows that darkness boosts the production of melatonin, an essential hormone for sleep. In fact, the body secretes very little melatonin during the day.

4. Practice mindfulness

When you’re mindful of your day, you’ll find it easier to stick to your sleep cycle and fall asleep by midnight each night.

You can incorporate meditation into your daily life. This will help you clear your head and set your priorities straight.

Doing some form of exercise, even light stretching or Yoga can help you sleep better and on time.

5. Have a morning routine to look forward to

If you have a rewarding and fulfilling morning routine, you’ll want to fall asleep sooner so you can pamper yourself in all the ways you’ve been practicing over time. You can use these 33 ideas to design the ideal morning routine that suits your needs and your schedule.

6. Hold yourself accountable 

Have a friend or a colleague go on this “sleep daily at midnight” challenge with you. When you have someone else suffering through the same issues, you’ll be less likely to fall off the wagon and break your habit.

You can also hire an accountability coach who will help you stick to your habit. They will also have helpful tips and tricks handy that would make it easier for you to get back on track if you fail for a few days.

7. Avoid looking at the time

When you’re lying in bed and anxious to fall asleep, looking at the time over and over again and mentally counting the hours you can sleep before you have to wake up can be distracting and demotivating. 

The best idea is to avoid looking at the time altogether. Concentrate on your breathing, calm your mind, and ignore the time.

8. Don’t nap during the day

If you nap for long hours during the day, you will not find it easy to sleep on time. So, if you stop napping during the day, you will feel sleepy and exhausted and find it easier to fall asleep by midnight.

Follow these eight steps and you’ll find it easy to sleep by midnight each time. You can also read the stories from our experts at Better Humans. They write the most inspirational pieces on being the best version of yourself.

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10 Habits of Happiness https://blog.lift.do/10-habits-of-happiness/ Tue, 23 Jul 2013 01:54:00 +0000 http://blog.coach.me/10-habits-of-happiness/ Read ]]>

Search Amazon.com for books about happiness and you’ll get 33,001 results.

But you don’t need to read a book to find happiness. Here are ten popular and easy habits that can give you a positive boost:

10 Habits of Happiness

  1. Smile: Move your muscles into a smile to encourage the same positive emotions that make you smile.
  2. Write down three positive things every day.
  3. Get enough sleep: Inadequate Zzz’s can wreak havoc on your health and happiness.
  4. Do something for someone else: a positive feedback loop could explain why happier people tend to give more and vice versa.
  5. Spend time with friends and family: social connections affect our happiness.
  6. Express Gratitude.
  7. Eat healthier: one study tied a Mediterranean diet with decreased incidence of depression. There’s even a diet that suggests foods make you happy.
  8. Exercise: physical activity releases endorphins that boost happiness.
  9. Go outside: Vitamin D you’ll get from sunlight exposure increases the feel-good neurotransmitter Serotonin.
  10. And the most obvious one: only you know what makes you happiest. Identify what that is and make it a habit:image

How to Start a Happiness Habit:

Right Now: Pick the easiest habit on this list and do it. I chose #1: Smile.

Then: If you’re on Lift, add a daily habit that makes you happy or choose the more flexible goal Complete Something That Makes Me Happy.

Image© CC Roona-MBH on Deviant-Art 

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