This is sponsored posting on behalf of RidgeCrest Herbals. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Confession: my advice to parents on how to get ahead of their kids at the beginning of the day is to wake up early so you’re playing offense versus defense but I’m not a morning person. The only times I woke up consistently earlier than my children were when I was an avid runner as a single mom and then after I had abc when I went back to work. Now I do normally wake up earlier than the kids but then I started staying up later working on my book and sewing but this wasn’t sustainable because I was waking up later and later.

But now?

Now I’m back up between 5-5:15am working out and having almost 3 hours to myself before hearing the voice of a cute, little person saying, “Good Morning Mommy”. And friends, this is glorious. But the question I’ve been receiving on Instagram as I post my early mornings is, “How did you start to wake up early when you said you’re not a morning person?” So I wrote this just for my fellow non-morning people who recognize the need to get up earlier.

But First… Why Wake Up Early?

Sleep. Is. Glorious. It really is a gift. I love sleep so very much which is why waking up early and then leaving my bed was so challenging for me. But here’s the thing: when you’re a parent of littles who are home with you all.the.time *ahem* pandemic *ahem*, getting alone time is hard to come by. Ok, you could totally stay up late Netflixing, Hulu-ing, and Amazon Prime-ing just to meet the quota parents need to not hear little people before passing out.

But if you want dope, productive time where you’ve already accomplished at least 2 things on your list of things to do for the day, you need to get up early. Getting up earlier means that your kids aren’t sneaking in doing that creepy stare at you while you sleep. They aren’t sneaking into your bed and surprising you awake. You aren’t being interrupted. When you wake up HOURS before them, you’ve had time to nurture yourself and fill your cup so you can show up better for them because you took time to complete yourself that day.

Show up for yourself before you show up for others, friends.

The best advice I've ever given to parents is to wake up early--before your kids have a chance to start in. Here's how to do just that.

Ok. But I’m Not A Morning Person So How Do I Wake Up Early?

Listen: I’m the antithesis of a morning person. Or at least I was. But if I could get my act together in the middle of a week so that I could be up at the crack of dawn, you can too. Here’s what you do:

via GIPHY

  1. Set multiple alarms.
    Yes, I’m that person that has 1000 alarms going off to wake me up–judge someone else. I have an alarm reminding me it’s time to get ready for bed, to go to bed, to wake up, take a shower, take my supplements, protected work hours, get dinner ready, etc. The alarms are really helpful because I accidentally hit off when I just meant to beg my phone for 10 more minutes.
  2. Plan something exciting for as soon as you wake up.
    No lie, the first night I decided to wake up and regain control over my life I couldn’t sleep. I was so excited because I knew that something had changed in me and it was going to be different. But also, I was so excited to do my 5:30 am class with Effect Fitness on their Instagram Live that I didn’t hit snooze on my alarm. I jumped up as soon as it went off and got my workout on.
  3. Go to bed at a time that allows you to get at least 7 hours of sleep.
    I wake up at 5 am–or at least my first alarm goes off that early. This means that I’m in bed at around 10 pm so that I can get those 7 hours of sleep. Calculate your bedtime based on the time you want to wake up. If you’re like me and have been a night owl for some time, falling asleep earlier than what’s become your norm can be hard. I keep RidgeCrest Herbals DreamOnā„¢ Zen next to my bed for that reason.

The Difference It Makes

Since waking up at 5 am, I’ve been a different mom. I’ve been more patient and not as snippy because I’ve had 3 hours of me time before BC walks into my office with his cheeky little smile. For these past weeks, I’ve also taken my vitamins and supplements daily which is important to my health. Working out first thing in the morning also helps me make healthier food choices throughout the day. I’m able to feel more in control of my days where as before I was just kind of floating through. And you know what? It feels really good to be filling my own cup as opposed to trying to nurture my kids from an empty source.

RidgeCrest Herbals DreamOnā„¢ Zen

When you’re a parent, taking a sleep aid can be a little scary. You don’t want to be in such a deep sleep that you don’t wake should one of your littles need you but also, you need quality rest because it’s good for you. It’s also hard because you don’t want to wake up groggy–that is THE worst. This is why I love DreamOnā„¢ Zen. Whereas some sleep aids kick in and you feel like you’re being knocked out literally, DreamOnā„¢ Zen is really gentle and gives you a natural sleepy feeling.

But let’s talk about the ingredients because that’s what’s important:

  • Black Cohosh Root: known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to promote sleep
  • German Chamomile Flower: gently relaxes parts of the brain while promoting feelings of well-being and calm
  • Lemon Balm: calming herb that is known for addressing the effects of long-term stress
  • Lupulin: a soothing relaxant
  • Passion Flower Herb: promotes well-being, relaxation and sleep
  • Valerian Root: sleep-aid

And that’s it! I love that I can pronounce all the ingredients in RidgeCrest Herbals and some of these things are even growing in my own garden!

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