Sleep expert’s ’10 second rule’ will help you get out of bed on a cold morning

A sleep expert has shared his tips to help you get out of bed on a cold morning – including a ’10 second rule’ that will have you ready to face the day in no time

Let’s face it, there are few things worse than having to get out of your toasty warm bed on an icy cold winter’s morning – especially as many of us are resisting the urge to put our heating on. We’ve all felt that desire to stay in bed where it’s warm for as long as possible, and it can really feel as though just sticking one leg out into the cold air is an impossible task.

But we no longer need to suffer with an inability to face cold mornings, as sleep expert Martin Seeley has shared his top tips for facing the day without wanting to crawl back under the covers.

Martin offered a range of advice from wearing warmer clothes to bed to having a shower as soon as you wake up – and even claimed a “10-second rule” could have you out of bed and ready to face the day almost as soon as your alarm goes off.

Wear warmer clothes to bed

If you struggle with going to sleep when it’s cold as well as getting out of bed in the morning, then Martin – who is the CEO of MattressNextDay – suggests wearing more clothes when you go to bed.

The expert claims that not having enough layers on will make you more susceptible to the cold and could make you wake up in the middle of the night from feeling chilly, so it’s important to break out the cosy winter pyjamas – even if you prefer to sleep in your underwear.

He said: “Going to bed with only a few items of clothing on, if any at all, will make your body more susceptible to feeling the cold as you are offering it little to no protection. This in turn could lead to a disturbed night’s sleep and you may find you’re waking up multiple times during the night from feeling cold, making your mornings even harder.

“If you feel uncomfortable wearing too many clothes in bed, keep some warm clothes nearby that you can grab and put on when you rise. You may also want to reach for some fluffy socks too. Thermal lightweight pyjamas are the best option for a warm yet comfortable sleep.”

Use the ’10 second rule’

Martin says the “10 second rule” is a simple and effective way to help you get out of bed in the morning, as the concept forces you out of bed before you’ve had a chance to think about how warm and cosy you are.

All you need to do is jump out of bed within 10 seconds of your alarm going off, wrap yourself in something warm such as a dressing gown, and leave your bedroom – so you have no opportunity to dive back under the covers again.

The expert shared: “The worst thing you can do when waking up cold is to just lay in bed and fixate on how cold it is and how much you want to stay in bed – this can often make us feel even worse and unmotivated for the day ahead.

“As soon as your alarm goes off and you wake up, give yourself 10 seconds before you jump straight out of bed, grab some warm clothes such as a dressing gown and leave your bedroom.”

Have a hot shower

One way you can help yourself feel warm again once you’ve managed to crawl out of bed is to take a hot shower, which is said to help regulate your own body temperature and keep you feeling warm for longer while you get dressed for the day.

Martin said: “If you’re struggling to wake up properly because of the cold, the quickest way to fix this is to have a hot shower first thing. A hot shower helps to regulate your body temperature, get your blood flowing and warm up your body gradually, this will also help you to feel warm until you get dressed, making your morning routine a lot easier.”

Set your heating to come on earlier

If you have succumbed to putting the heating on and you’re still finding it too hard to get out of bed in the morning, then you might want to try scheduling your radiators to kick into action before your alarm goes off.

This will ensure your bedroom has plenty of time to warm up before you’re due to throw the covers off and face the day, so that you’re not getting out of bed into an ice cold room.

“If you’re turning the heating on, look at setting it to come on early in the morning and on a low setting,” the sleep expert stated, “this should take away that early morning nip in the air and help you to wake comfortably. You should also keep your bedroom door shut to ensure the heat radiating does not escape your room.”

Try using a light box

It’s not just the cold that keeps us in bed in the winter though, as the long nights mean it’s often still dark when our alarms go off in the morning, which makes getting up feel all sorts of wrong.

But if you struggle with dark mornings, Martin suggests trying a light box, which is a light designed to mimic natural sunlight that you would see in the summer months, and is timed to come on when your alarm goes off.

Light boxes, also known as daylight lamps or SAD (seasonal affective disorder) lamps, can be purchased from the likes of Boots, John Lewis, and Amazon, and can range from £20 to £100.

Martin explained: “One of the hardest aspects when waking up during autumn and winter is the lack of natural sunlight in the room. The best way to deal with this is to purchase a light box. Light boxes essentially replicate sunlight, and are an effective way to add some light to your mornings.”

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