Always trying to get up earlier and really struggling to do it? Do you miss opportunities because of your late slumber? Or maybe you make some progress, then get sick and back at square one again. The issue may be that you just feel too tired when the alarm goes off that it feels unhealthy to get up. Working on your sleep wake cycle can be helpful here but that usually involves stretching one’s comfort levels. You may have to risk being uncomfortable, hoping you get used to your new morning schedule.

If you notice that you feel tired no matter when you wake up, this information may be helpful.

First of all, transition your sleep wake cycle slowly. 15 minutes a week is recommended and from both ends. Make sure you go to bed on time as well.

If you are sleeping enough and find that willpower hard in the moment, consider this information from Ayurveda. Ayurveda is defined by Merriam-Webster as: a form of alternative medicine that is the traditional system of medicine of India and seeks to treat and integrate body, mind, and spirit using a comprehensive holistic approach especially by emphasizing diet, herbal remedies, exercise, meditation, breathing, and physical therapy.

Part of Ayurveda believes that the day is split into unique zones that are ideal for resting, eating, tackling the day, pondering and waking up.

These zones are Vata, Pitta, and Kasha. By understanding these better, you may be able to follow a more natural flow and wake up with ease. Basically, they are each split between 4 hours making up the 24 hours in a day.

Vata is the time between 2 am and 6 am and is associated with more energy. Kapha is the time between 6am and 10 am and is heavy and sluggish. The idea is that if you wake up during Vata time, before 6 am, you follow that energetic period.

This may also give reason to why you may wake up during that period and can not fall asleep again. It is a good time for spiritual reflection. If you wake up during Kapha time, this may be why you feel sluggish, regardless. Pitta time is 10 am to 2 pm, a great time for your biggest meal, when the fires are prime, when the sun is high in the sky. Also a good time for your body to rest, between 10 pm and 2 am and clean out your system. Believing this can give you a reason to wake up earlier, a new found motivation. It may also help one understand why waking during 6 am to 10 am feels all the same!

You can take a quiz to find out your own dominant dosa from the website Eat Taste Heal below and read about the natural rhythms of life in Chapter 4 of their book.

https://www.eattasteheal.com/index.html

This article gives an great explanation of the zones:

https://www.ayurvedacollege.com/blog/ayurveda-and-cycles-time-how-doshas-rule-day/