Inside: Mama, it's time to stop hitting the snooze button, wake up with your alarm, and get some time alone in the early morning. Here is how:
One kid is lying on the ground, whining because the pants under his snowsuit are pushed up and uncomfortable around his calf (but is he doing anything about it? Of course not).
With one boot on and half his snowsuit dragging the ground, the other one is crying as he pulls out the lego box. What is he crying about? I really don’t know.
3 minutes ago everyone was excited to head outside to sled...
And I was beginning to wish the snow had never come. Bitter cold without the snow is not as appealing. Without the snow we could just stay inside.
But the snow was there, and gloves, hats, snow suits, boots, and socks needed to be rounded up. It was taking much longer than I had hoped. Shoes are in the corner, gloves in the 2nd drawer, hats in my bedroom...
On the 137th snow day this year, I finally had an epiphany: why not have one bucket in the closet that is for ALL snow gear? Mine and theirs, in one place. Because if they are going outside you know I am too, and there is no reason to make an extra trip to my bedroom to grab my stuff.
Are you in the rut of hitting the snooze button every morning? I’ve been there, too. But just like my epiphany with the snow gear, I realized that if I am going to break the snooze hitting habit, I can’t rely on willpower. Instead, I have to actually take action and change up a few things to make getting up with my first alarm easier.
Here are 8 hacks to help you finally stop hitting the snooze and get up when you plan to.
8 Hacks To Finally Stop Hitting Snooze
1. Put your alarm WAY out of arm's reach
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: 100% of moms who put their alarm clock out of arm’s reach get out of bed when it goes off!
Just a few weeks ago I was in a bad rut of hitting snooze and missing out on mymom morning routine. I was getting frustrated with myself. Until one night it hit me: put the alarm in the corner of the room and force myself to get up and turn it off!
Viola. The next morning I was up with the first alarm. I’m telling ya, that 100% statistic is real science.
Make it easier on yourself, mama. Put your alarm clock far away from your bed.
2. Change the alarm ringtone
I spent a good chunk of my childhood living in Pakistan. Our house was near a mosque where five times a day the call to prayer would ring out over the neighborhood. But you know what? I quickly stopped noticing the shrill, loud call to prayer. My mamaw and papaw would visit us from the States and ask “what is that?”.
“What do you mean?” I would say back. I heard it so often it didn’t register anymore.
Our ears quickly get used to and dismiss sounds we hear on a regular basis. So change up your alarm ringtone. Try a peppier tune, or maybe a calming one. Or get your favorite song from the radio to ring out each morning. If you have trouble getting up, you might need a change of tune.
3. Go to sleep at the same time every night
Have you ever noticed that the sun sets and rises at about the same time every day? Nature follows a pretty predictable pattern. Why do we think we should do differently?
Scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have found that while the number of hours you sleep is important, having a consistent sleep routine is just as vital (if not more important).
Going to bed at the same time every night will keep your body in rhythm and help you get the quality rest you truly need. When your internal clock is in sync, you will wake up feeling more awake and less groggy when that alarm goes off.
4. Play with your wake up time
It could be as simple as this: your alarm is set to go off at the wrong time during your sleep cycle! Try adjusting it plus or minus 15 minutes, and see if that makes a difference.
5. Have a relaxing bedtime routine
The hour or so before you go to bed has a massive effect on the quality of sleep you get. Mama, you may not always be able to get more sleep, but you canget better sleep.
Here are11 Alternatives to Screen Timefor a better bedtime routine.
6. Put a glass of water by your bed
Did you know that your brain is 75% water? It is true, mama. Meaning that if you are not hydrated, your brain is not going to function at its best. And when it’s not at its best, I can assure you that “snooze” is going to get pushed over, and over, and over.
Plus, in Charles Dughugg’s book, The Power of Habit, Duhigg lays out this pattern for creating lasting habits: cue - routine - reward.
Seeing that glass of water by your bed when the alarm goes off is a helpful cue to get up and start the morning routine you are working hard to build.
7. Have a morning routine you love
If we keep going with the cue - routine - reward framework, having a morning routine that you love - one that leads to more clarity and intentionality with your kids - is the reward!
So build a morning routine that you look forward to. During your routine, do things that give you life and energy. If you develop a routine you love, and that positively impacts the rest of your day, you will want to wake up early before the kids. Bye, bye snooze.
8. Turn the snooze option OFF
Did you know you can do that?? If you have a problem eating a whole pan of brownies in one sitting, for goodness sakes stop buying the box of Double Chocolate Ghirardelli!!
Come on mama. Grab your phone and let’s do it together:
- Go to the Clock App
- Hit the “+” to add a new alarm
- Choose your awake time.
- Scroll down and hit the Snooze toggle button to turn it off
That is it. And you are welcome.
How To Stop Hitting The Snooze Button: Quit “Willing” And Start “Doing”
Now that your snooze is off, you have to actually get out of bed - you can’t fall back asleep after that first alarm! But that shouldn’t be a problem if you:
- Put your alarm far away out of arm’s reach
- Change up the alarm ringtone
- Go to sleep at the same time every night
- Play with your wake up time
- Have a relaxing bedtime routine
- Put a glass of water by your bed
- Have a morning routine you love
It’s one thing to say you want to get out of bed and stop hitting snooze. It’s another to actually take the steps to make that a reality.
Will power alone is not always going to work! I was “willing” pretty hard to get my kids out the door that snowy day. But it wasn’t until I took action and made things easier on myself that that “willing” actually manifested into change.
Be an action taker, mama! And enjoy the quiet, tidy, lonely house a little longer 🙂
I’m rooting for you!
