Train Your Mental Alarm Clock in Four Simple Steps

Train Your Mental Alarm Clock in Four Simple Steps

 Is there any sound more wretched than that of an alarm clock in the morning? Although I’m not a violent person, I often have detailed¹ revenge fantasies involving hurling² my clock across the room and watching it shatter into a million tiny, hated pieces. When I move to turn it off, I stab at the buttons viciously, hoping to cause the device some actual pain. As far as I’m concerned, it’s payback.

The weird³ thing is that the alarm clock isn’t even usually that necessary, since I often wake up on my own, then look at the clock and see 6:29—one minute before my alarm was going to go off anyway. It’s almost as if my body’s internal clock were already set for the right time.

This phenomenon is actually pretty common—we all have an internal clock that regulates our sleep and wakefulness cycles, and with a little bit of practice, we can regulate it to keep us right on schedule, no bothersome alarms necessary.

Our internal clocks are ruled by our circadian rhythms, a twenty-four-hour cycle that helps the body sleep at night and stay awake during the day. Circadian rhythms come from the hypothalamus, a region deep in the brain that controls involuntary functions like body temperature, hunger and thirst, blood pressure, instinctual behavior, and reflexes. The most important stimuli⁴ that the brain receives are signals of light and dark, which cause the brain to produce chemicals that make us sleepy or keep us awake. The human body is hardwired to sleep at night and be awake during the day (which is why it’s so hard for nighttime workers to get a good night’s sleep).

But just because that’s what our bodies have evolved to do doesn’t always make it easy to rise and shine each and every morning. Some people have gotten very proficient⁵ at relying on their body’s clock to tell them when it’s time to wake up and go to sleep; in just a few days, anyone can regulate her own sleep schedule and get on track for an alarm clock–free lifestyle.

Step 1: Develop Good Sleep Habits

Your internal alarm clock will work properly only if you’re getting good, consistent, restorative sleep. In order to keep it in top shape, skip alcohol, caffeine, and exercise near bedtime, don’t do other activities (like reading or watching television) in bed, and don’t nap during the day. These bad habits can all contribute to intermittent⁶ or chronic⁷ insomnia⁸.

Step 2: Figure Out How Much Sleep You Need

Your body can easily wake you up at the right time, but only if it’s had enough sleep. Most adults need somewhere between eight and ten hours per night, but the exact amount varies from person to person. To figure out your own magic number, do a little experiment the next time you have a few days free to sleep in: go to bed at the same time for three nights in a row (hopefully at the time you normally get sleepy), and sleep until you wake up. Don’t force yourself awake with an alarm, and don’t get up before you feel rested. On the third morning, once you’ve had three full nights’ sleep, note how long you slept for the night before—this is the amount of sleep you should be getting each night.

Step 3: Establish a Routine

To get your body on a set schedule, plan to spend at least a week, or up to two, going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning. (Yes, this includes weekends and days off.) The goal is to train your body to spend a very specific amount of time sleeping and a specific amount of time awake. When you do wake up, resist the temptation to hit the snooze button; get out of bed immediately, and if it’s light outside, open drapes or blinds so that some sunlight reaches you. The light will signal to your body clock that sleep time is over.

After a few days in this routine, you should find it easier to get up in the morning, and eventually you’ll start waking on time without being prompted. While it’s a good idea to have a backup alarm in place for the first few weeks, your body will adjust to the schedule and wake you on its own.

Step 4: Maintain Good Habits

The hard part isn’t getting into a routine—it’s staying there. After a late night out, after drinking several cocktails⁹, or after traveling, the body’s sleep schedule is altered. It may take a few days of recuperation after a deviation¹⁰ from the schedule before you fall back into the groove¹¹. Also, you can’t just set yourself on a schedule of sleep; you have to set yourself on a schedule of enough sleep. If you put your body on a schedule that actually causes a sleep deficit¹², the deprivation¹³ will catch up with you and make it harder for your body to wake up at the appropriate time.

Imagine a morning without the shrill¹⁴, electronic blare of an alarm; imagine a peaceful and natural transition from sleep to alertness. It can happen. If you’re consistent and conscientious about your sleep habits, training your body’s internal clock can be as easy as one, two, 

1 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

2 hurling   

n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• The boat rocked wildly, hurling him into the water. 这艘船剧烈地晃动，把他甩到水中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Fancy hurling away a good chance like that, the silly girl! 想想她竟然把这样一个好机会白白丢掉了，真是个傻姑娘！ 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

4 stimuli   

n.刺激（物）

参考例句：

• It is necessary to curtail or alter normally coexisting stimuli.必需消除或改变正常时并存的刺激。
• My sweat glands also respond to emotional stimuli.我的汗腺对情绪刺激也能产生反应。

5 proficient   

adj.熟练的，精通的；n.能手，专家

参考例句：

• She is proficient at swimming.她精通游泳。
• I think I'm quite proficient in both written and spoken English.我认为我在英语读写方面相当熟练。

6 intermittent   

adj.间歇的，断断续续的

参考例句：

• Did you hear the intermittent sound outside?你听见外面时断时续的声音了吗？
• In the daytime intermittent rains freshened all the earth.白天里，时断时续地下着雨，使整个大地都生气勃勃了。

7 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

8 insomnia   

n.失眠，失眠症

参考例句：

• Worries and tenseness can lead to insomnia.忧虑和紧张会导致失眠。
• He is suffering from insomnia.他患失眠症。

9 cocktails   

n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物

参考例句：

• Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来，我们喝鸡尾酒，吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
• Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句

10 deviation   

n.背离，偏离；偏差，偏向；离题

参考例句：

• Deviation from this rule are very rare.很少有违反这条规则的。
• Any deviation from the party's faith is seen as betrayal.任何对党的信仰的偏离被视作背叛。

11 groove   

n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯

参考例句：

• They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
• The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。

12 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

13 deprivation   

n.匮乏；丧失；夺去，贫困

参考例句：

• Many studies make it clear that sleep deprivation is dangerous.多实验都证实了睡眠被剥夺是危险的。
• Missing the holiday was a great deprivation.错过假日是极大的损失。

14 shrill   

adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫

参考例句：

• Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
• The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。