TENSH had a critical consideration when it came to sleep. Most research focuses on outcomes such as sleep duration and quality, but these cannot be broken down into habits. Instead, we selected a pre-sleep and post-sleep habit that would benefit sleep duration and quality.
Rising immediately is a post-sleep habit that affects your next sleep and productivity for the day ahead. The simple decision of what to do at your planned waking time sets the tone for the day: do you go back to sleep or get started?
If you get up and break through the sleep inertia (the desire to remain in bed), you can tick off what you need to accomplish. This is important for TENSH habits, such as physical activity, healthy eating, and mindfulness, that require time to be performed.
Getting up at your scheduled time is essential to complete these activities before your following commitments of the day, such as school or work. Going back to sleep removes the opportunity to complete these tasks and often causes them to disappear.
Rising immediately and consistently also helps to manage your circadian rhythm, which regulates your sleep-wake cycles. This makes it easier to fall asleep at night, and over time, it will be easier to wake up at this time.
