Train Your Mental Alarm Clock in Four Simple Steps

Train Your Mental Alarm Clock in Four Simple Steps

 Is there any sound more wretched than that of an alarm clock in the morning? Although I’m not a violent person, I often have detailed 1 revenge fantasies involving hurling 2 my clock across the room and watching it shatter into a million tiny, hated pieces. When I move to turn it off, I stab at the buttons viciously, hoping to cause the device some actual pain. As far as I’m concerned, it’s payback.

The weird 3 thing is that the alarm clock isn’t even usually that necessary, since I often wake up on my own, then look at the clock and see 6:29—one minute before my alarm was going to go off anyway. It’s almost as if my body’s internal clock were already set for the right time.
This phenomenon is actually pretty common—we all have an internal clock that regulates our sleep and wakefulness cycles, and with a little bit of practice, we can regulate it to keep us right on schedule, no bothersome alarms necessary.
Our internal clocks are ruled by our circadian rhythms, a twenty-four-hour cycle that helps the body sleep at night and stay awake during the day. Circadian rhythms come from the hypothalamus, a region deep in the brain that controls involuntary functions like body temperature, hunger and thirst, blood pressure, instinctual behavior, and reflexes. The most important stimuli 4 that the brain receives are signals of light and dark, which cause the brain to produce chemicals that make us sleepy or keep us awake. The human body is hardwired to sleep at night and be awake during the day (which is why it’s so hard for nighttime workers to get a good night’s sleep).
But just because that’s what our bodies have evolved to do doesn’t always make it easy to rise and shine each and every morning. Some people have gotten very proficient 5 at relying on their body’s clock to tell them when it’s time to wake up and go to sleep; in just a few days, anyone can regulate her own sleep schedule and get on track for an alarm clock–free lifestyle.
Step 1: Develop Good Sleep Habits
Your internal alarm clock will work properly only if you’re getting good, consistent, restorative sleep. In order to keep it in top shape, skip alcohol, caffeine, and exercise near bedtime, don’t do other activities (like reading or watching television) in bed, and don’t nap during the day. These bad habits can all contribute to intermittent 6 or chronic 7 insomnia 8.
Step 2: Figure Out How Much Sleep You Need
Your body can easily wake you up at the right time, but only if it’s had enough sleep. Most adults need somewhere between eight and ten hours per night, but the exact amount varies from person to person. To figure out your own magic number, do a little experiment the next time you have a few days free to sleep in: go to bed at the same time for three nights in a row (hopefully at the time you normally get sleepy), and sleep until you wake up. Don’t force yourself awake with an alarm, and don’t get up before you feel rested. On the third morning, once you’ve had three full nights’ sleep, note how long you slept for the night before—this is the amount of sleep you should be getting each night.
Step 3: Establish a Routine
To get your body on a set schedule, plan to spend at least a week, or up to two, going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning. (Yes, this includes weekends and days off.) The goal is to train your body to spend a very specific amount of time sleeping and a specific amount of time awake. When you do wake up, resist the temptation to hit the snooze button; get out of bed immediately, and if it’s light outside, open drapes or blinds so that some sunlight reaches you. The light will signal to your body clock that sleep time is over.
After a few days in this routine, you should find it easier to get up in the morning, and eventually you’ll start waking on time without being prompted. While it’s a good idea to have a backup alarm in place for the first few weeks, your body will adjust to the schedule and wake you on its own.
Step 4: Maintain Good Habits
The hard part isn’t getting into a routine—it’s staying there. After a late night out, after drinking several cocktails 9, or after traveling, the body’s sleep schedule is altered. It may take a few days of recuperation after a deviation 10 from the schedule before you fall back into the groove 11. Also, you can’t just set yourself on a schedule of sleep; you have to set yourself on a schedule of enough sleep. If you put your body on a schedule that actually causes a sleep deficit 12, the deprivation 13 will catch up with you and make it harder for your body to wake up at the appropriate time.
Imagine a morning without the shrill 14, electronic blare of an alarm; imagine a peaceful and natural transition from sleep to alertness. It can happen. If you’re consistent and conscientious about your sleep habits, training your body’s internal clock can be as easy as one, two,