How I beat 7 years of sleep deprivation and became a morning person

The alarm goes off at six in the morning. I roll off the couch with a groan. After the shower, my face takes on a meaningful expression, and the oatmeal with hot sandwiches brings me back to life. Books - in a backpack, a backpack - on the shoulders. I fly out of the house, catch the departing bus - and a few minutes later I am driving in a crowded subway. Hello new day!

"Normally? Double?" - the friend of the barista smiles sympathetically. I nod. As he prepares coffee, I catch the reflection in the mirror. The look is shabby. Moistening my finger with saliva, I erase the strokes of a ballpoint pen from my cheek that have survived from my morning shower. I drain the miniature cup in one gulp. I rush to study.

Sleepless youth

Welcome to my reality seven years ago. I am 20 and I have just returned home from a six-month internship in South Korea. I am a fourth-year student at the Gorky Literary Institute, work as an English teacher, and go in for sports five times a week. Time is running out, so I go to bed at two in the morning, get up at six in the morning and cannot imagine life without a high dose of caffeine.

The sad story of sleepless nights began in high school. I was preparing for the FCE, the Cambridge English Certificate Exam. This was my first serious exam, and I was afraid of failure until my knees were trembling. My family members even found me sleeping under the kitchen radiator with my textbooks in my arms. Mom and grandmother were seriously worried and hoped that my night vigils would end soon. It turned out that everything was just beginning.

Preparatory courses, final exams at the gymnasium, entrance to the institute. And then - dashing student youth with lectures, tests, sessions and internships abroad. With the beginning of working days, sleep has become an unaffordable luxury. I was chased by the same numbers: lights out at one or two in the morning, wake up at six in the morning.

The disease that made you sleep

I was young: I worked from morning till night, did three sports and sincerely considered sleep a waste of time. Until, in January 2015, I caught an intestinal infection.

The country was walking, and I was lying in bed. The stomach was twisting, the body was like not mine. A paralyzing weakness spilled over every cell. I couldn't even move my fingers. A week ago, I was running as if I was running, and now I was lying in a layer. Work and speech were out of the question: they had to cancel the lessons and refuse translations. I've eaten runny oatmeal, drank water, and got enough sleep over the past seven years. For two whole weeks I slept 10, 11, even 12 hours a day - and it was wonderful.

Anti-melatonin light bulb

For many centuries in a row we have respected the laws of nature and have not known grief. Woke up at sunrise, fell asleep after sunset. At the end of the 19th century, Thomas Edison's light bulb turned the world upside down. Nightlife, convenience stores, and double-shift work were introduced. Life has changed, but our biorhythms have not. The retina of the eye perceives any bright light as sunlight, and the body sends us signals not to sleep. Cleansing and repairing cells is delayed, and less sleep hormone melatonin is produced. The later we go to bed, the less time we spend in deep sleep. It is in it that active recovery takes place. At stake is our performance, health and emotional balance.

Healthy Sleep Award

In "Three Comrades" Remarque wrote: "Only the unfortunate one knows what happiness is." I was so used to not getting enough sleep that I became akin to constant fatigue. The disease opened my eyes. It turned out that you can live not on 40% of energy, but on 100%. How? Very simple! Go to bed before 11 and sleep for at least seven hours. This is what I got by becoming a morning person.

Energy

Having recovered, I began to wake up at dawn. With a jerk she kicked off the blanket and jumped out of bed: finally a new day! Not a trace remained of the morning frailty. It was as if I was pumped up with strength!

Productivity

The work burned in my hands: I translated and edited texts faster, easier and more accurately.

Emotional balance

I didn’t break down on others, didn’t react to stimuli, became calm and patient. Mood swings and outbursts of anger are a thing of the past.

Concentration

I no longer forgot where I put my things and where I left my phone. At times it was easier to keep attention and was not distracted by extraneous matters.

Health

I got stronger, became stronger and more resilient. In running training, I dumped whole minutes from the distances, and at the climbing wall I passed trails that I was afraid to even look at before.

the beauty

The bruises under the eyes disappeared, the skin color evened out, the wrinkles on the forehead smoothed out. A healthy glow appeared on her cheeks.

6 tips for healthy sleep

For those who want to fall asleep fast and sound. Checked for yourself!

1. Introduce air

Sleeping in a well-ventilated area is much more pleasant. In the evening, I always open the window so that fresh air can enter the room. A couple of years ago, my mother gave me a warm blanket, and since then I have slept with an open window in both summer and winter.

2. Stay away from screens before bed

Whether it's a TV, laptop or smartphone, the bright light on the display stimulates the brain and suppresses the production of the sleep hormone. Sitting at the computer until late, every time I noticed that it was more difficult for me to fall asleep. So reading paper books in the evenings returned to life - a habit that helps to distract from daily worries and relax before bed. Down with screens, long live the books!

3. Sleep, don't overcook

It is not for nothing that the wise said: "Eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, and leave dinner to the enemy." I try to eat 3-4 hours before bed and choose foods that are not high in protein and fat. Unlike carbohydrates, they take a long time to be absorbed, and the digestive system remains in operation for several hours after going to bed. Often my dinner consists of a plate of stewed vegetables and salad. This is enough to keep you hungry until the morning.

4. Go in for sports

To sleep better, increase your physical activity. When the body gets tired, the brain shuts down much faster. Just don't overdo it, or it will take longer to recover. Enough 2-3 workouts per week.

5. Praise yourself for your day

Life is transformed when we love and respect ourselves. During the day we successfully cope with dozens of tasks, and this is an excellent reason to say: "I'm doing great today!" Before going to bed, I made it a rule to let go of worried thoughts and praise myself for the day I lived. When nothing disturbs me, sleep is deep and calm.

6. Dedicate your morning to your favorite activities

I saved the main advice for last. To get up easily and happily, do what you love every morning. Once, lying in bed, I thought dreamily: "I would like to brew my favorite herbal tea, read a book, write in a diary …" Then it dawned on me. What if this is how the day started?

The next morning I woke up at dawn and a bullet flew out of bed. The scent of unbrewed tea tickled my nostrils, and my hands itched to write. The world was asleep. These 1, 5 hours belonged only to me, and I felt like the happiest lark in the world.

Four years have passed since then. I changed schedules, cities and jobs. But no matter how busy life is, I always find time for a good sleep and a quiet morning. I wake up, drink a glass of water, do exercises, write in my diary for half an hour. And then I study Korean for another hour or read. I don't turn on the Internet, I don't go to social networks. In the morning I enjoy the silence and do what I love the most.

When was the last time you felt 100% charged? When did you want a new day to come as soon as possible? When did you wake up with a smile on your face? Has it been a long time since? And I didn't have until I turned from an owl to a lark. I wanted to be happy, healthy and productive. I wanted my brain to work like a clock, and my body did not know fatigue.

I managed. It's up to you!