The 5 Golden Rules of Early Rising (article)

We have all woken up at 6am one sunny Spring morning and thought 'This is easy', yet most people who try and keep it up just fail miserably.

It's not just an eager attitude you need for success in rising early, there are a number of factors to consider and ideas to implement in your routine...

1. The Clue is in the Introduction
Routine, routine, routine! If you go to bed one night at 9pm of course you'll wake up early, but the next night going to bed at midnight having polished off a bottle of wine gives you no chance. Set a specific time to go to bed (which corresponds with the amount of hours sleep you need each night to feel refreshed), don't eat too much before you go and set an alarm for exactly the same (early!) time each morning.

2. Get up, Stand up
The second you wake up or hear your alarm going off just jump right out of bed. It helps to tell yourself not to turn off the alarm until you're standing up and it works even better if you put the alarm on the other side of the room. After this, walk right out of the door away from your bed and don't look back. You don't have to skip gleefully- crawl if you have to, but just get away from temptation!

3. Have a Reason to Get up Early
It's best if your reason is personal and not something you'll end up resenting (e.g. 'I need to get up early to get into work before my boss'). There's absolutely no reason why you can't enjoy getting up early too. If you enjoy exercise then make time for it each morning and make this your reason. Perhaps you love food and would like to take your own meal to work each day? Wake up early and do it! Spend time with the kids, watch TV, read books, meditate etc. etc.

4. Keep a Reminder
If you're a fitness nut then buying a great new pair of trainers or having freshly washed gym clothes hanging on your wardrobe door is a good incentive. The key is to balance out the doubts in your mind when you're lying in your comfy warm bed. The foremost doubt is guaranteed to be 'if I get up I'll be cold and tired'. If you balance that with 'if I DON'T get up then I can't wear those lovely new gym shoes right in front of me' then you're more likely to do it, right?

5. Sleep Hygienically
Sleep hygiene means having a quiet sleeping environment which is comfy, uninterrupted and at the right temperature. Don't have the TV or your computer on for company when you fall asleep, as tempting as that might be. Instead, try having the radio on very quietly or a relaxing CD that will end in an hour or so.

Some of these tips may easier said than done when regarding your personal situation, but try and follow them as closely as you can, add a generous dollop of determination and you're guaranteed to get there.