Mmm, just five more minutes...
(Picture: Pexels)This morning, we woke to darkness, cold, and the news that Bear Grylls has named his alarm clock ‘Opportunity’ to remove any negative associations he might have about the object whose job it is to break his slumber.
Winter in the UK can be a tough old slog and most people, even ‘morning’ people – the type who might go swimming in the wild or tackle their inboxes at 5am – admit to finding the simple task of getting out of bed a struggle.
“Scientific research suggests that seasonal variation has the greatest effect on the timing of our sleep, compared to other factors, such as sleep duration or quality,” says Dr Guy Meadows, co-founder and clinical lead at Sleep School.
“Studies have shown that, in countries which have a distinct seasonal variation, such as in the UK, people tend to go to bed and get up a little later in the winter compared to the summer. This can be explained by the lack of natural daylight during the winter, which acts to delay our sleep/wake cycle.”
Luckily, there are ways and means – of varying appeal – to make winter mornings more bearable...
1. Let there be light
“Our body uses natural cues like sunlight to help us wake up but, once the winter gloom hits, it can be hard to get out of bed without some added help,” says sleep expert and founder ofâ¯Owl + Larkâ¯Hafiz Shariff, who has extensively researched human circadian rhythms and coined the term “circadian fitness”.
“Invest in a daylight lamp that will brighten gradually to mimic the glow of the sun and help keep your circadian rhythm in check.”
Sunrise alarm clocks, which wake you with light, rather than sound, are a massive help, too. Light, even if it’s artificial, boosts serotonin, so your mood will be improved from the moment you open your eyes.
2. Activate your nostrils
Shariff also advises leaning into the power of stimulating scents, such as peppermint, rosemary, or a citrus oil like orange, “to help stimulate the brain and get you energised for your day”. This can be done by investing in a digital oil diffuser – timed to turn on between 10 and 30 minutes before your alarm goes off.
“For a more low-tech option, keep a tissue or cloth by your bedside that you can dot with a few drops of oil to smell once you wake up,” she says. “You could also mix it with some hand cream or body lotion for a longer-lasting morning boost.”
3. Take an invigorating shower
Leaving the sanctuary of your warm bed and getting under a cold shower might be akin to entering the gates of hell but, if you want an immediate energy boost to cut through morning grogginess, look no further.
“Contrast showers [intervals of hot and cold water] may sound like the last thing you want in the winter, but they have a mood-stimulating, antidepressant effect,” says Rhian Stephenson, nutritional therapist, neuropath, and founder of supplement brand Artah.
Dr Meadows agrees, suggesting that we try to turn on the cold tap for the last minute of our morning shower.
“In one study, sleep inertia was reduced from 56 minutes to 20 minutes in people who took a cold shower and/or washed their face with cold water for 30 days,” he says.
4. Breathe, but make it fresh air
Ideally, we’d all go for a brisk walk or run asap but this isn’t always possible. Instead, try either stepping out into the garden or onto a balcony – or opening your window wide and breathing in cold, fresh air, which contains higher levels of oxygen. A number of studies have shown that having increased amounts of oxygen in the bloodstream helps promote serotonin production as well as boosting energy and productivity.
5. Eat earlier the night before
“Meal timing affects our metabolism and circadian rhythm, so it’s a good idea to aim to eat earlier in the evening to help get your body into a more restful, restorative sleep,” explains Stephenson.
The better sleep you have, the less jarring the wake-up will be.
6. Employ the Five-Second Rule
American lawyer and TV host Mel Robbins wrote an entire book on how acting with a sense of urgency changed her life. The seedlings of The 5 Second Rule came after Robbins employed the technique as a way of getting out of bed during a stressful winter. The process was simply to count backwards from five and immediately act after one – any delay and the brain will start to come up with excuses as to why you shouldn’t.
“It was winter in Boston and, for the first time in three months, I had beaten my habit of hitting the snooze button,” she said in one TV interview.
Robbins is now a bestselling author: her five-second rule extends beyond the bedroom – and is widely used as a tool to beat procrastination.
7. Repeat
“Whatever you decide to do, try to turn actions into habits, repeating them at the same time every day,” says Dr Meadows. “This will help you feel refreshed and invigorated every single day.”
8. Hangover help
“Waking up on a bleak winter morning can be incredibly difficult after a Christmas night out, especially since we often have plans the next day,” says Michelle Geraghty-Corns, founder ofâ¯eternalbeing, the team behind theâ¯Hangover + patch⯖ a natural remedy which helps fight hangovers before they begin. Placed on your arm, the patch, which contains milk thistle extract and a selection of B vitamins, helps you clear your head, reduce nausea, and lessen tiredness after a fun night out. “I don’t believe people need to suffer from hangovers,” says Geraghty-Corns.
