How I did it: Made a few minor changes to my habits and that seemed to get the ball rolling. Waking up early is never going to be a pleasant experience but it doesn't have to be terrible.

Lessons & tips:

• Put your alarm clock on the other side of the room so you force
  
  yourself out of bed to turn it off.
• If you can change the tone on your alarm clock find something that
  
  starts out calm and gradually gets louder. I found I wake up a little
  
  less angry when the tone isn't so harsh, but it's good to have the
  
  harshness there just in case the gentle sound doesn't rouse you.
• It's easier to wake up at the end of a sleep cycle. A cycle is
  
  typically 90 minutes, so it's better to wake up after 3 hours than 3.5.
  
  For more sleep advice check out this podcast interview with a sleep therapist.

Resources:

• Podcast interview with a sleep therapist.

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Dec 27, 2009, 10:51AM PST | 0 comments | 1 cheer