People ask me if I’m a night owl or a morning person. My usual answer is, “No.” They usually laugh, but I’m serious. I’m the type of person who gets up and does what needs to be done. When I first got into radio 20-plus years ago, I worked the graveyard shift, so naturally, because of my job, I was a night owl. Doing graveyards for 9 years, I loved it. Then at my other job, I drove in the evenings and late at night. Still, no problem being a night owl.

Then, when my morning show duties started and my turn as a day dweller. That was rough! If I had only known these tips when I had to make the change to being a day/morning person, it would have saved me a ton of headaches, I’m sure!

Researchers at Baylor University have pinpointed the negative behaviors that affect our circadian rhythm. In other words, if you want to be more of a morning person and less of a night owl, you should put these practices into play!

#1 Turn off the electronics! It would be a great world if we could unplug ALL THE TIME, but that’s just not possible today. But tonight? Sure! Stop playing on your phone while you’re lying in bed. It’s recommended to keep your phone in a completely different room!

Giphy.com
#2 Back off the caffeine! This seems like a no-brainer. But especially with drinks like coffee, keep those in the AM hours (and not 1 am).

Giphy.com

#3 Avoid Long Naps! – If you sleep too much during the day, you won’t sleep at night, making it harder to wake up when you have to be social. I.E., You’re a grumpy morning person!

Giphy.com

#4 Don’t exercise in the evening! Thanks to the chemicals released from exercise, you feel pumped! So unless you’re planning on some other “exercise” with a partner to tire yourself out before bed, avoiding exercising in the evenings is advised.

Giphy.com

For more information on changing your habits and becoming a more productive “morning person’, check out the research from the Baylor University website!