Related Blog: Keeping Your Bed Clean and Why It’s Important
But, as cozy as your bed might be, you don't want to make a habit of sleeping in too often...you might be setting up your day for stress, as you run late to work, appointments, or other pressing obligations.
So we'd like to present some surefire ways of normalizing your sleep in fewer hours of daylight:
Light therapy... it's a thing? Absolutely. There exist all sorts of "light boxes" and "light tablets" to help you get the simulated sunlight you need during the day so that you can sleep better during the nighttime. (As an added bonus, if you suffer from light-related issues, you might find yourself being happier during the day with one of these devices.)
The Verilux HappyLight Light Therapy Tablet delivers an incredible amount of light power at 10,000 lux. (So make sure you really need this before turning it on!) Place it next to your dark workspace or breakfast cooking area and enjoy a boost that will (hopefully) help you to relax later when it's time for sleep.
You're not on a tropical island, where the sunlight would naturally stream across your face, awakening you to the glories of the day.
So try for a second-best solution: a sunlight-simulating alarm clock, which will filter the warm rays of "almost sun" across your flickering lids, to rouse your weary eyes from sleep.
This UV-free light from Philips is well-reviewed; the manufacturer claims that it is "clinically proven to make waking up more pleasant." Enjoy a simulation of dawn light cascading into your bedroom, choosing the intensity level that suits your particular sensitivity range.
In the morning, it's dark, you might be sluggish, and you might want to stay huddled up for as long as possible.
But beware of giving into these "cave" instincts; don't hunker down... instead, energize your day with some early-morning exercise. You'll sleep better than if you exercised at night, as you won't be raising your body temperature immediately before attempting to hit the hay.
Here are some tips to get you out of bed in the morning, and onto the exercise train:
Put your workout gear next to your bed, and change into it immediately.
Put a workout video on your laptop/tablet/DVD player, etc... you can press play as soon as you awake and move around.
Set your alarm clock to upbeat music, and dance around the room
Our last piece of advice is a little different than the previous advice, but it has its time and place.
Sometimes, you might want to just roll into the seasons, and go with the flow. Make sure not to sleep in too much (again, you don't want to be late), but feel free to shut off your devices, snuggle up, and hit the hay a little earlier at night.
You can enjoy a well-deserved, cozy sleep in your mattress from Land of Sleep.