For example, if you have to catch your bus at 7:30, you might want to wake up at 6:30. This gives you an hour to get dressed, eat breakfast, wash your face, brush your teeth, and make sure you have everything you’ll need for school. You might find that you don’t need as much time in the morning, but be careful not to cut it too close. Ideally, you’ll have time to do everything you need to do and still be calm, friendly, and social with your family before heading out. Since you went to sleep at the appropriate hour, you should feel well-rested in the morning. If you feel tired, bump your bedtime up a half-hour and see if that helps. You might have to play around with it a little until you find the right time. [2] X Research source
Stay away from sugary cereals and toaster pastries—the sugar will cause you to crash later and won’t give you the focused energy you need. If your school serves breakfast, it’s fine to wait until you get there to eat something. Just make sure you’re starting your day with something healthy that will give you the energy you need.
Give yourself a little extra time if you wear makeup to school or if you have other accessories you want to put on. Glance in the mirror one last time and smile—you’re ready to go!
If you’re eating lunch at school, you might want to look at the lunch menu schedule so you know what your options are for the next day. If you have a choice, figure out what you want the night before so you won’t have to make a decision on the spot tomorrow.
If you’ll need a change of clothes for PE or another activity, make sure they’re clean and ready to go along with your other school things. You might want to check the weather as well. For example, if it’s supposed to rain tomorrow, you’ll want to make sure you have a raincoat or umbrella ready.
Getting your homework done first also means you know it’s done so you won’t have to stress about it in the morning. Set up a particular spot to do your homework every day. When you get home, go directly to that spot and start working.
If you need permission for a school event or outing, put it on your family calendar. Set reminders if you need to do anything specific to prepare.
You might consider putting up a copy of your schedule next to the door so you can do a quick double-check right before you head out.
A bubble bath or shower gel with a calming scent, such as lavender, also helps relax you and improve your sleep quality. [10] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
If the sun is still out when you’re transitioning toward bedtime, close the blinds or curtains so the natural light won’t come into your room. Avoid stimulating activities, such as exercise or watching an exciting television show, right before bed. When you stimulate your mind, you’ll have a harder time falling asleep and won’t sleep as deeply when you finally do. [12] X Research source
For example, if you’re 16 years old and you need to get up at 6 a. m. , that means you need to go to bed sometime between 8 p. m. and 10 p. m. If 8 p. m. sounds way too early for you to go to bed, start with a 10 p. m. bedtime. You can always adjust it if you consistently feel tired in the morning.
For example, you might find that it takes you 30 minutes to do everything you need to do in the morning at a normal pace. Add 15 minutes to this time (just in case anything goes wrong) and set your alarm for 45 minutes before you need to leave. Don’t forget to add in time to wake up as well. If it usually takes a couple of minutes for the alarm to wake you up, set it a couple of minutes earlier than you need to get up to account for that.
Go over your schedule for the week and take note of any special activities that might require a little extra prep work. Is there anything you can do in advance? Go ahead and get it ready so you don’t have to worry about it during the week.
