Before you think that this is another one of those posts where I will be selling you the BS of the 5 am club and how you can be rich by getting up early, let me tell you, it’s not!

I will directly talk about the science behind the morning mindfulness routine, why sleeping and waking up at the right time makes sense, and what you can do when you are awake.

First, let’s understand the science behind this sleep-wake cycle.

Science behind it

Imagine you have a clock inside you, which rules your body. It will determine when you should sleep, when it’s the right time to eat, and when it’s high time to be active. That clock is called the circadian rhythm.

It determines everything, including metabolism and hormones. Hormones can further determine hunger, sleep, and other physical activities. The circadian rhythm is like a governing body.

Now let’s talk about the two main hormones here:
Melatonin and cortisol. I am sure you must have heard these names before.

Melatonin is a sleep hormone; it’s high at night and will signal you to sleep.
While cortisol is a stress hormone, you might consider it a bad hormone, but it’s not, actually.

In simple language, these two hormones work in sync. At night, melatonin is high, cortisol is low, and you will feel sleepy.
In the morning, in the presence of light, melatonin is low, cortisol is high, and you will be awake.

Cortisol has a bad rep; whenever people hear its name, they start panicking.

Hmmm, let’s change that…

The Cortisol curve

Till now, I’m sure you must have heard that it’s a stress hormone; it increases stress and vice versa.
But people ignore the fact that cortisol is also your wake-up hormone. It’s at its peak 30–60 mins after waking up. It’s giving you a push, making you feel wow in the morning.

I mentioned that cortisol is high after 30–60 minutes of waking up; that’s called the cortisol awakening response.

Our bodies are like solar panels, believe it or not, they get charged up with sunlight.
Research says that when you take early morning sunlight after waking, you are increasing cortisol production by 50%. This will help you feel more alert and more focused.

However, constantly sleeping at odd hours and waking up late, doomscrolling, processed food, and bright blue light at night can shake the cortisol pattern, and that can make you feel tired, unmotivated, sleepy, and even more stressed.

You don’t need all that. You may need a morning mindfulness routine, which I will discuss later in this post.

When you sleep also matters. That’s like another part of the story that needs our attention.

I’m talking about melatonin, which is equally responsible for how you’ll feel throughout the day.

Melatonin, sleep timing, and why night matters too

If cortisol determines your morning, melatonin determines your night.
It should be at its peak at night. It will help you have a good sleep at night.

However, nowadays it’s becoming a trend to stay up late at night and call it productivity.

If cortisol is a sunlight lover, melatonin is a hater. There’s research that says even indoor light can shorten the production of melatonin by 90 mins. That means no sleep.
So, all those people watching Netflix and chilling at night can say goodbye to sleep.

When you sleep and when you are waking up, determine your day and many bodily processes, which I won’t be discussing here.

You can read this post for more details.

But over here, I will share what Ayurveda has to say about the sleep-wake cycle.

What Ayurveda says about a mindful morning routine

Ayurveda’s ancient wisdom describes morning and sleeping very beautifully.

It talks about Brahma Muhurta, which is considered ideal for waking up. That’s 1.5 hours before sunrise and is considered the time for high clarity and low disturbances.

The Brahma Muhurta is considered ideal for meditation and high-creativity work. You can also mix your work that needs your max attention and your mindful morning routine right in this time frame.

Ayurveda strongly suggests sleeping and waking up in sync with the sun for better mood, digestion, and chakra (energy).

How to create a simple morning mindfulness routine

Our goal should be something simple and doable.
We won’t be needing anything fancy or impractical.
I won’t suggest you wake up at 3 am and lift heavy; that’s Bookish BS.

For waking up at the right time, you need to sleep at the proper time, and for that, dinner should be 2–3 hours before bedtime.
Means, if you are sleeping at 10, you need dinner by 8 pm max.
Throw that damn phone away because it’s stealing your melatonin.

You can learn how to get a good night’s sleep by clicking here.

Now, for the morning, make sure you wake up at a time that’s practical.
If you are sleeping at the right time, if you are getting 6–7 hours of sleep, then you may be able to wake up at 6 am or before.
Invest that time in a mindful morning routine, like reading, journaling, meditating, light movements, or anything creative.

I won’t suggest a specific mindful morning routine, but it should be one without phone and with sunshine.

As I’ve already mentioned, how much energy you have during that time, it’s better to use it productively and not check your Insta feed.
Trust me, the world will not stop if you don’t use your phone in the morning after waking up.

You can try 3 out of 5 methods, like one of my clients suggests, in that, you list down 5 habits you can do throughout the day (no matter how small), and now aim at completing at least 3 of them.

Conclusion

Sleeping and waking up at the right time surely matters a lot. You need to do it regularly, and not just for 1 day.
You need sunlight to charge your body, and you also need cortisol to feel amazing in the morning. If you don’t do that, you’ll feel tired and annoyed.

We hear people say that their system doesn’t work in the morning, but they made it that way. We need a system that can uniquely work for us.
I could’ve given you the billionaire’s mindful morning routine, but there’s no guarantee that it will suit you.

So take control of your body and routine, and design what’s best for you.