5 Steps to a Successful Morning Routine for Night Owls

I am a serious night owl.

I love basking in the sunlight but my creative energy is usually triggered by the moon.

This means that when most people are getting ready for bed, I’m just getting into the flow of my work.

When I’m being responsible, my typical bedtime is 3:00 am and my alarm goes off at 10:30am.

Yes, I know that might look a little crazy, but why?

Who decided that waking up at 6:00 in the morning was a good idea? Because to me it seems like cruel and unusual punishment.

Whenever I think of people sitting at their desk at 8:00 am my soul cries and my heart goes out to them.

Oh the treachery hiding in plain site!

Waking up early is a method of torture that has been normalized in our society.

But we’re here now. And that’s how things are for most people.

So here is a morning routine (or wake up routine) to help night owls greet the day with happiness and vitality instead of dread and fatigue.

Step 0: Plan Ahead

If you’re not a morning person don’t expect to just wake up in the morning and breeze through the day.

It’s not happening.

If you’re anything like me you’re going to hit snooze 5 times, wake up late and rush to get out the door looking like a decent human being as opposed to a zombie.

So… the remedy to that is to plan in advance. Here’s what I’m talking about.

How much sleep do you really need?

First, figure out the minimum amount of sleep you need to operate at a high level. You can do that using the sleep calculator here.

According to sleep calculator apps, it’s better to wake up after a complete sleep cycle has ended and you want to aim for 5-6 cycles. Personally, I aim for at least 4.

One sleep cycle is typically 90 minutes.

This means you should aim for 6 to 9 hours of sleep per night, based on how many cycles work best for you.

This has been a game changer for me and everyone I’ve shared it with.

And surprisingly, I usually feel more rested and alert after 6 hours of sleep. 7.5 hours leaves me feeling more groggy.

Once you determine how many hours of sleep you need, you can determine the latest you can stay up. Essentially, your hard stop bed time.

For example, if you need to wake up at 7am everyday, you can stay up until 1am and be perfectly fine if you only need 6 hours of sleep.

As a night owl, you may want to cheat the system to stay up later. Well, don’t. You already know this but you’ll regret it in the morning. Every time.

Do Stuff at Night

If you’re a night owl, then you should take advantage of those night time hours to get ready for the next day.

If you want to look your best, don’t wait until morning to choose an outfit.

Before you go to bed pick out an outfit and iron it if needed.

Make sure everything you need is accessible to make things easier for you the next day.

Hang your clothes in the closet, put your shoes and purse by the door, make sure your lunch is ready to grab from the refrigerator and so on so forth.

You get the idea. Prepare everything you can the night before.

Plan Your Day

In addition to getting everything you need ready, write down a list of things you need to do the next day.

Do you have a major meeting at work?

Would you like to go grocery shopping?

Is there something at home you want to work on?

When you plan the day before, you give yourself clarity and peace of mind which will go a long way in helping you stay up as late as you can while still waking up happy.

Step 1: Pick Your Morning Anthem

For most people, music is a really good way to build morning momentum and get hype.

So, instead of using some boring and annoying alarm, set your alarm to play something that will help you get out of bed in the morning.

If you have an Iphone you can choose any song from your music library.

This will help lift your mood and put a little pep in your step as you go about getting ready.

If you’re more interested in TV, turn on your TV as soon as your alarm goes off to help catch your attention and sweetly lure you out of bed.

Just don’t get too roped in that you’re more concerned about the show than getting ready. I’d hate for you to be late.

Step 2: Set an Intention

When you’re finally up, give thanks and set an intention for how you want your day to go.

This is important.

If you have major night owl energy like me, you might wake up feeling rushed and a little discombobulated.

Setting an intention before you get out of the bed or soon after helps you get grounded before you tackle the day before.

This will help you show up more confidently at work, in your business, with your family, and so many other areas.

It helps you take charge of your day instead of letting your day run all over you.

Step 3: Have a Checklist

If you really bout that night owl life, you’ll probably need a checklist.

My brain doesn’t work well in the morning so having a checklist helps me plan my day and make sure I have everything I need without having to think too hard about it.

I use a checklist to go through everything I need to grab before I walk out the door in the morning.

It helps me save time but more importantly, gives me peace of mind that even when I may oversleep a little bit, I still have everything I need.

And that feels so good.

Step 4: Take Care of Your Health and Hygiene

When you take care of your body, it just feels good.

So, drink some lemon water, take a shower, do some oil pulling, and beat your face, as you get ready to face the day.

I don’t even consider working out in the morning (or at all, honestly lol). But if you’re a night owl and you like to work out, figure out ways to fit in after work.

And don’t go eating fast food every single night, make time to cook and take care of your body before you go to bed and do it all over again the next day.

In Conclusion...

Night owls are usually cut from a different cloth and it takes a bit more effort to run on the world’s schedule.

Where most people rise with the sun, we are driven by the bright eyed energy of the moon.

In order to get the best of both worlds, you want to be able to stay up late and revel in your passions and productivity while also balancing the need to wake up the next day.

I hope this morning routine for night owls has given you some ideas on what you can do to make morning easier and more joyful for you.

Got any more ideas for helping night owls greet the day? Share them below!