I have not always been someone who likes waking up early. In my early adult years I could easily sleep till 11 or noon if I had nothing else to do. That changed as soon as I had my first child over 10 years ago. I started to feel really overwhelmed with how much stuff I now needed to do in the morning. Getting myself ready, the baby ready as well as making sure we made it to places (mainly work) on time. I started to become extremely stressed out when my child was awake while I was trying to get everything done in the morning. This led to my entire day feeling off and as though it was already off to a rushed start. About 6 months into motherhood, I decided to try waking up earlier than my child and have not looked back since.

Waking up earlier saved my sanity as a

Working Mom

The minute I decided to wake up before my son woke up, I felt more in control of my day. I now had time to get ready without worrying about how I was going to keep the baby safe while doing so, nor did I feel rushed anymore. Sure, there were many days that I was absolutely exhausted since my son was not the best sleeper at night and I struggled with getting out of bed. Over time, the more consistent I was, the easier it was to get up and start my day. Now, with two kids, I cherish the quiet moments that I get all to myself in the morning. I am able to sit, relax and enjoy some coffee before the chaos of the day really starts. Once the children do wake up, the morning goes much smoother and I have noticed my stress level has decreased significantly in the mornings. There’s less screen time to keep them occupied while I’m doing other things and less yelling.

Are you thinking about starting to transition to waking up earlier than your kids? Here are a few tips to help you get started.

5 Tips to Wake up Early

Start Slow

Start slowly by setting your alarm a little bit earlier each day until you are at a good time that you want to wake up. Whether it be 2 hours and 20 minutes before your kids wake up; starting with small changes will eventually get you to the time you want.

Consistency

The more consistent I was, the easier it was to wake up earlier. Consistency is key tp truly changing your morning routine. While there are some days that I do switch it up and sleep in, they are rare and for the most part I am awake before my kids 95% of the time.

Set goals

Set goals of what you want to do in the morning when you have that time. Do you want to read, write, pay bills, plan out your day? Whatever it is that you want to do; set the goal the night before to encourage you to wake up when your alarm goes off in the morning.

Work out

Somedays I wake up early enough to get a workout in before the day starts. On these days, I feel better throughout the day and have way more energy then on days I rely only on coffee. If getting in a work out is your thing, it gives you even more reason to get up before your kids to get it done.

Go to bed earlier

I know, I know this may not be possible for everyone. I am the worst at going to be early at night mostly because I have a really hard time unplugging and winding down. However, getting enough sleep not only is good for your health but will make you feel good as well. If waking up early is your goal, heading to bed sooner at night may be what gets you there.