Rise And Shine

By adopting these habits, anyone can become a morning person.

- Victoria Holt

IF YOU WAKE UP each morning in a groggy haze, you can blame your body clock: “Circadian rhythms are longer than a 24-hour day, so our sleep clock pushes us later,” says Rebecca Scott of NYU Langone’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center— Sleep Center.

This means shut-eye acts like a dimmer switch rather than an on/off switch. It takes time to ease into sleep at night and time to feel fully alert in the morning, which is why, says Scott, you feel like you need 10 to 20 minutes to fully wake up.

These simple tweaks to your routine can get your body back on track faster, so you face the day mindful and energized.

When Your Alarm Rings: Don’t Hit Snooze Just those few minutes of extra slumber can trick your body into thinking it doesn’t need to wake up after all. When you do hear a second alarm, you may find yourself experiencing what scientists call sleep inertia (the rest of us call it grogginess), which can be characterized by decreased cognitive and motor skills.