Can't wake up in the morning?

Question

Please help! In every job I have, I can't wake up in the morning to get there on time! I am ALWAYS 5-10 minutes late, on a good day, and nothing works to get me out of bed. It's like when I wake up I am still asleep and I don't hear any alarm clocks ( I set 3 different ones), and my mum stands and shouts but I sleep through it.
I have tried early nights but the longer I sleep for, the less I want to get up!
Please recommend something as I am starting my ideal job soon and don't want to be late!

Answer 1

You need a regular routine, with two aims a) to get you to wake up at the right time b) to get you up and out the house in time to get to work.

Try the following:
At night:
* go to bed at the same time every night.
* only you know how much sleep you need, but go to bed early enough to get enough sleep
* you will get better quality sleep if the room is not too hot or cold and has enough humidity, and if you get enough exercise and fresh air during the day.
* eat at least an hour before bedtime so you don't get indigestion, and don't take any alcohol or caffeine in the hour before bed either
* after eating, prepare for tomorrow, make sure you have your clothes, papers, etc ready. Check the weather forecast, so you have the right coat, umbrella, gloves, etc ready. Make sure you have your keys/season ticket/work pass'lunch money all ready. This will save you time and stress in the morning.
* after you have got ready for tomorrow, wind down. Listen to relaxing music, have a hot drink, hot bath, whatever. Put away the screens and read or do a puzzle instead.

In the morning
* time how long you need to wash, dress, breakfast
* then set your alarms for at least15 minutes before you think you need to wake up
* the art of being a good riser is to get out of bed as soon as you wake up. Don't lie there thinking 'just 5 minutes more....'
* assuming you don't sleep in the nude, ask your Mum to pull off the duvet, right off the bed. Works every time - and helps air your bed for the next night.
* wash and dress straight away. Don't hang around eating breakfast in your dressing gown, that's a sure timekiller. You will feel more ready to go if you are dressed.
* think about what delays you in the morning and fix it. Iron your shirt and make your sandwiches the night before. Get headphones and listen to the news on the way, rather than waiting for the headlines. Check your email when you get to work. Post letters at lunchtime.
* use lunchtimes to get your personal jobs done eg buying birthday cards, paying bills, pickup dry cleaning; you will get fresh air away from office, which will help you sleep, and it will give you more time in the evening.
* if you are not a 'morning' person, make it easy for yourself by getting things ready the night before so all you have to do is get up and go.

Good luck

Answer 2

I am much the same. If I go to bed early I don't sleep and then am more tired than if I went to bed roughly at my normal time. I set two alarm clocks which go off every 5/10 minutes until you switch them off. Also, I set two alarms at 15 minutes apart on my phone, which also repeat themselves until you can see clearly enough to turn them off properly. As well as that, I have another loud alarm clock, this just goes off the once, that is my backup if all else fails. So thats five alarms. And a radio. Set all alarm times for about 50 minutes before you actually want to get up.
However, all this would not work without the secret tip. Including my clock on the wall, every time on all my alarms are set different, so that I don't know the real time until I leave my bedroom and see a clock with the proper time, by then I am awake. All the clocks are set forward, varying from about 8-40 minutes difference on all of them. I do not remember when I first wake up which clock is set fast by how much. When I open my eyes, I see the time say twenty five minutes later than it really is. The adrenaline kicks in as you know your going to be late, and you rush out of bed into the shower. As you gradually wake up you realise you've been conned and you could have stayed in bed longer, but by then the job is done and you up! I started a new job, which was 45 minutes earlier than what I was used to, and however much sleep I've had, it gets me every time. Its a painful process turning off all the alarms, and I hate it, but its worth it. I get to keep my job. Best of luck

Answer 3

Try setting your alarm for 30 mins or longer still earlier than the time you have to get up so if it takes you 30mins to get ready and you have to leave the house at 07:30 set alarm for 06:30 that way you have half an hour after alarm goes off to wake up.
Invest in a radio alarm clock it will stay on and you can put the volume up loud.
Go to bed when you are tired and don't do anything that will keep you awake such as reading a book or watching tv. Go to bed to sleep have a warm drink of hot milk or horlicks avoid caffine it will keep you awake.
Alternatively when your alarm goes off just get up have a cup of tea or a coffe and some breakfast and a cold shower that will wake you up.

Answer 4

Set your alarm clock/clocks a quarter of an hour fast this will make sure you are up on time. You probably need an Hour to come round, (i call it) you'l have to get up earlier again. It might take a while to adjust to, but stick at it, it'll make you a more prompt and better person. Don't forget to get to sleep in the night at a reasoably time.

Early To Sleep, Early To Rise
Makes You Healthy, Wealthy and Wise.

Answer 5

I set my watch 5 minutes fast as a reminder never to be late and it works for me. You could try the same with your watch/clock.

Early nights don't work for me, it usually makes it harder to wake up for some reason. I sleep for around 6 hours, less than that and I am a zombie for the rest of the day.

The trick to waking up is to get out of bed as soon as you wake up, otherwise you will go back to sleep.

Also your "bodyclock" can usually wake you up at a specified time although this is not an exact science.

Good luck with your new job :)

Answer 6

On some occasions it is good to take aspirin before going to bed. In the morning your body will feel more relaxed, and won't need so much deep sleep, so you can be awaken quicker. However this is not a long term solution. You seem to be so called night person. All you need to do is implement a motivational method in the mornings. You must reward yourself for getting up. Ie. treat yourself with favourite music, hot bath/shower or delicious breakfast. Try it :)

Answer 7

Hello, 7 am here on the East Coast. It's not raining this morning but we had a terrible storm last night.

Answer 8

Try a job with shift work, 3 till 11, 10 till 2, 12 till 8, beats the problem of sleeping in. xx

Answer 9

I think this could be anxiety-related. Perhaps you are more stressed about work than you realise, or perhaps the worry of being late is making you want to escape from the whole thing. You could get your mum to thrown water on you in the morning. I know it sounds awful but it would force you to wake and noone wants to remain in a wet bed. Try to find something nice to reward yourself for getting up - perhaps your mum could have a nice cooked breakfast waiting - that would certainly get me up!

Answer 10

I sleep through alarms, so i set 2 different mobiles and leave in different parts of the room.
I also set my Hi Fi to come on full blast playing paranoid - by Black Sabbath
impossible to sleep through especially if they are set 2 minutes apart