1. You’ll start the day feeling refreshed Imagine opening your eyes when they feel ready and enjoying a leisurely stretch before rolling out of bed in your own time to begin your day. Sounds a lot less stressful than frantically bashing the snooze button and making yourself late for work! When we hit the snooze button our bodies go into another sleep cycle, and as the early stages include a much deeper sleep, when the alarm goes off it is very jarring on the body and increases levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Without an alarm and snooze button to increase stress levels in the morning, the body will feel much more refreshed and prepared for the day ahead.
2. Improved mood Waking to the sound of a stressful alarm interrupting your rest probably isn’t going to put you in the best of moods. Especially if it happens to intrude on the best part of your dream! Studies show that circadian rhythms play a huge role in our moods and how we feel, with irregular rhythms having a negative effect on our ability to sleep and function properly. Embracing the natural circadian rhythm and waking naturally can have a positive impact on the ability to sleep and improve mental health.
3. Better sleep The act of setting the alarm and knowing that it will wake you from your slumber is enough to release cortisol and set you up for a rough night of sleep. The stress and worry of the alarm can also make it much harder to go back to sleep if you wake during the night. But when the brain is rewired into knowing when it is going to sleep and waking up, it is better prepared for a night of deep rest.
4. More energy It goes without saying that better sleep and a more restful start to the day will mean that you’ll have bags more energy! Maintaining energy levels during the day is a lot easier when the body has had the rest it needs. This will also mean that afternoon slumps are much less likely to happen, so there will be no need to rely so heavily on sugar and caffeine to make to the end of the day.
5. Improved productivity Studies have shown that people who sleep five to six hours a night are 19% less productive than people who get a solid seven to eight hours. Sleep deprivation can have a huge impact on our ability to function and perform our day-to-day tasks effectively, so prioritising good sleep is vital for our work and home life. Learning how to wake naturally will mean that your body will be getting the rest it needs to function properly.
The benefits of ditching the alarm clock are clear – but how do you go about getting rid of them without losing your job or being late for school? Check out our next blog for ways to eliminate the stress of an alarm without worrying about oversleeping.
