Are you trying to find more hours in the day to get everything done? Do you want to get up earlier but struggle to get out of bed when your alarm goes off? Don’t worry, here you’ll learn the tips for setting productive bedtime and morning routines for success!
Life can be chaotic and can leave us feeling like we are living reactively instead of proactively. If you have kids, this can be exacerbated - trying to navigate bedtimes, middle-of-the-night wakeups, and wanting to get that extra hour of sleep before the kids wake up in the morning. Whether you have kids or not, getting up early can leave you feeling tired and exhausted.
Here you’ll learn the techniques to build both a productive morning AND bedtime routine. After all, sleep is equally as important as getting up early and will help you feel rested in the morning. Follow along with this interactive morning routine tracker to help you stay motivated and on track.
This article is about setting a productive morning routine for success that won’t leave you feeling tired!
WHY MORNINGS ARE IMPORTANT
Whether you want to find time to exercise, build out a side hustle, or have more time to yourself, early mornings can give you the extra time you need to get your tasks done!
There are plenty of research studies that show that your brain is at its most creative state early in the morning. As soon as you wake up, your brain is more relaxed and less likely to over-analyze, stress, or be critical.
There is a reason that a vast majority of successful CEOs in the US wake up early! There are many positive benefits of creating a productive morning routine for success.
Here are just a few benefits:
- Increase productivity at work/home
- Prioritize your exercise routine
- Get better sleep
- Decrease stress levels
- Achieve goals that encourage a healthy lifestyle
- Achieve more of your to-do list
By implementing the following tips, you can experience these benefits and more!
SECTION 1: PERFECTING YOUR BEDTIME ROUTINE
You cannot master a morning routine without first creating a bedtime routine. These next four tips help you create a nightly routine to maximize sleep, minimize stress and leave you feeling less tired in the morning.
REMOVE OBSTACLES
Create a productive morning routine by removing any obstacles that might deter you from getting up early. Try to do as many things as you can the night before to help prepare and make your mornings easier. The fewer decisions you have to make in the morning the earlier you can be productive. Trust me, your morning self will thank you for doing this!
Think of things, big or small that can save you time the next morning. Small changes can have a big impact on creating productive bedtime and morning routines for success. For example, if you want to exercise in the morning, lay out your workout clothes, socks, and shoes the night before.
Morning routine ideas for removing obstacles: preset the coffee pot, pre-plan breakfast, set out clothes, fill up your water bottle the night before, etc.
PLAN AHEAD
Before you go to sleep, you need to be very clear about your to-do list in the morning. If you haven't identified your tasks the night before, you’ll waste time in the morning trying to decide what to do, and are also more likely to talk yourself out of getting up early.
The more specific you are with your task, the better. Use this SMART goals framework to create morning tasks that are easier to achieve and this SMART goals checklist to keep you productive and on track. Set your intentions the night before - you are more likely to get up early when you have a specific task that you are responsible for completing.
Morning routine ideas for planning ahead: write down your tasks, tell someone else what you are getting up early to do, or use a habit tracker like this.
GO TO BED EARLY
Of all the tips, this one might be the hardest in the beginning, but most critical, as it will help you feel less tired the next morning. First, figure out how many hours of sleep you want to get each night. Next, you need to determine two things - the time you need to be in bed and the time you need to be asleep - these are two very different things.
If you’re like me, it can take a while to fall asleep after you get into bed. I’ve learned that I need between 15-30 minutes to fall asleep, so I factor that in when setting my alarm. Consistently going to bed early will help you feel more rested and will get you productive earlier in the day!
Morning routine ideas for going to bed early: Calm your mind before bed, be consistent, and use this worksheet to help track what time you need to be in bed and be asleep.
WIND DOWN BEFORE BED
Start taking note of how long it takes you to fall asleep after getting into bed and factor this time in when setting your alarm the night before. If you know it takes roughly 30 minutes (might vary slightly every night) to fall asleep, get in bed 30 min before you need to be asleep to achieve your sleep goal.
Screen time can be stimulating and have a negative impact on your ability to wind down before bed. If you have trouble falling asleep, try eliminating screens 30 minutes before bedtime. Instead, try reading, meditating, or audiobooks to give your brain a rest.
You can also invest in an alarm that has a wind-down feature. Try out different wind-down activities to find what works best for you. This will help you get better sleep, feel less tired, and get more productive earlier in the morning.
Morning routine ideas for winding down: read, journal, meditate, do yoga, listen to an audiobook, use a wind-down alarm clock with soothing music, etc.
SECTION 2: HABITS FOR THE MORNING
Now that you have created a perfect bedtime routine, it's time to learn what habits to implement to create a productive morning routine for success.
ALARM CLOCK HACKS
Investing in a good alarm clock is key. I stopped using my phone as my alarm clock when I found myself aimlessly scrolling through social media every morning. If you get distracted on your phone, invest in an actual alarm clock. I enjoy the Hatch alarm clock because it turns a light on in the morning that mimics the sunrise - this can be helpful for anyone who wakes up when it’s dark outside.
Another tip - put your alarm clock far enough away that you have to get out of bed to turn it off otherwise, it becomes much easier to hit snooze. When your feet hit the floor you’ll be less likely to crawl back into bed.
Morning routine ideas for alarm clocks: stop using your phone and invest in an alarm clock, put it far away, and find one that plays soothing music - nobody wants to wake up to a terrible noise!
AVOID USING SOCIAL MEDIA
Phones and social media can be huge distractions in the morning. If you’re like me, you can be scrolling for a while without even realizing how long it's been. For example, if you wake up early to exercise, don’t check your work email - or you will likely get pulled into responding to emails or get stressed out. Be intentional with your time and avoid distracting apps that don’t align with your morning tasks and instead, focus on creating a morning routine for success.
Morning routine ideas to avoid social media: don't open any apps that aren’t related to your tasks, avoid your phone altogether, and create time limits in your app settings.
DEFINE YOUR MORNING TIMELINES
Just as you did with your bedtime routine, you need to define what time you need to wake up vs. what time you need to be productive. Start noting how long it takes you to get ready (get dressed, brush your teeth, make coffee, etc.) before you are productive. Make sure to account for this time when you set your alarm the night before. This will help you get productive as early as possible, which is the goal here, right!?
Morning routine ideas for defining your morning timeline: You can use this worksheet to help you create your morning timeline. (MORNING ROUTINE WORKSHEET)
SECTION 3: STAYING CONSISTENT
Now that you have your bedtime and morning routine down, let's learn how to stay consistent with your routines.
ACCOUNTABILITY
The biggest driver in staying consistent is being held accountable. Find yourself an accountability buddy or group that keeps you on track with your goals. Once your alarm goes off, you will be much more likely to get out of bed when you have to tell someone whether you actually did it or not.
You can also hold yourself accountable by tracking your goals with a checklist or habit tracker to keep you motivated and on track.
REPETITION
Waking up early can be challenging, especially in the beginning. Being consistent with your productive morning and bedtime routines will eventually make them habitual and automatic. Stay consistent by leveraging your accountability buddy/group or using a habit tracker. Before you know it, waking up early will become a consistent habit!
GRADUAL CHANGES
Waking up early and creating a productive morning routine doesn't have to happen all at once. Feel free to start by waking up 15-30 minutes earlier than you do today. Then after 1 week, set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and keep doing this until you are waking up at your desired time. Gradual small steps can lead to big changes!
BE FLEXIBLE
Creating a productive morning routine for success isn’t perfect and never will be. There will be nights you don’t sleep well, or go to bed late. Give yourself grace and alter your morning routine to accommodate these unexpected changes.
Don't stress, it's OK to push back your alarm to make sure you are still getting the hours of sleep that you need. Remember, sleep is equally as important as getting up early!
WRAP UP
If you are looking for more hours in the day to knock out your overwhelmingly long to-do list, follow these tips and build a productive bedtime and morning routine.
Set your morning up for success by doing as much as you can the night before, setting your intentions, winding down, and going to bed early. In the morning, get out of bed to dismiss your alarm, avoid distracting apps and stay aligned with what time you need to be productive.
Stay consistent through accountability groups, habit trackers, repetition, and being flexible. Don't forget, small changes can have big impacts! If you implement these strategies, you will be waking up early without feeling tired in no time!
Great job taking the first step to building a productive morning routine - you are on your way to crushing your goals!
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