Running Head: Taking Back My Mornings

Taking Back My Mornings:

An Action Research Project
Erika Santa Cruz
Azusa Pacific University

TAKING BACK MY MORNINGS

2
Abstract

When it comes to being a teacher and going to school two nights

a week to obtain my Masters degree, time is always precious. If Im
not writing IEPs, Im working on homework for my classes, sleeping or
getting ready for work. Rarely do I have time to myself to reflect or
relax. The reason for this action research was to find a small amount of
time for myself to reflect and start my day on the right foot. In order to
do this, it meant waking up earlier. Because I like sleep so much, I
typically wait until the last possible minute before I get out of bed and
race out the door. To gain a bit more me time, it meant waking up
earlier. This study was designed to give me more time in the morning
to relax, have breakfast and not rush to get ready.

TAKING BACK MY MORNINGS

Section One:
The purpose of this study was to actually give myself time in the
morning to reflect and take my time instead of running out of the
house with wet hair. I am infamous for hitting snooze on my alarms and
getting as much sleep as possible. But something I realized when I was
thinking about this Action Research was how I missed time to myself. I
knew that this would be a difficult task only because I know how much
I hit snooze (3-4 times) before I actually get out of bed.
I have attempted to get up early before, and have failed
miserably partially because my waking up early did not have a
purpose. This time around, my desire to wake up early had a purpose.
Because of my limited time, this time in the morning was a great
opportunity for me to start the day off on the right foot. With this extra
time I feel like I will feel less rushed and have a better day for me and
for my students.
Section Two: Implementation
To implement this change, I set my alarm clock a half an hour
early and allowed myself to snooze my alarm twice during the
weekdays. To do this, I used my phone as my alarm clock, and before I
went to bed I reminded myself of the purpose of waking up earlier. I
knew starting out that it might not be as effective, so I was willing to
make changes if I wasnt getting up by these guidelines. Some of these

TAKING BACK MY MORNINGS

changes were: setting my alarm 45 minutes earlier, moving the phone

away from arms reach or going to bed earlier.

Results
Weekdays
>
Baseline
Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Monday

Tuesday

Alarm set
for: 5:00
In bed:
11:14pm
Out of
bed: 5:58
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
10:45pm
Out of
bed: 4:59
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
9:40pm
Out of
bed: 5:30
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
9:45pm
Out of
bed: 4:40

Alarm set
for: 5:00
In bed:
10:30pm
Out of
bed: 5:50
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
8:30pm
Out of
bed: 5:05
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
9:00pm
Out of
bed: 5:10
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
10:30pm
Out of
bed: 5:15

Wednesda
y
Alarm set
for: 5:00
In bed:
9:45pm
Out of
bed: 6:10
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
9:11pm
Out of
bed: 5:16
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
10:15pm
Out of
bed: 4:40
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
11:07pm
Out of
bed: 5:40

Thursday

Friday

Alarm set
for: 5:00
In bed:
10:45pm
Out of
bed: 5:40
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
9:00pm
Out of
bed: 5:10
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
10:45pm
Out of
bed: 5:23
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
8:35pm
Out of
bed: 5:27

Alarm set
for: 5:00
In bed:
9:35pm
Out of
bed: 5:50
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
10:50pm
Out of
bed: 5:00
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
8:45pm
Out of
bed: 5:19
Alarm set
for: 4:30
In bed:
10:45pm
Out of
bed: 4:30

In general, I was happy with my results. I was honestly surprised

at how I was able to get up with plenty of time to myself. Even though I
wasnt exactly out of bed at 4:30, I still had ample time to get ready,
make coffee and actually sit for a while before I had to go to work.
Each night before I went to bed, I record what time I got into bed, and

TAKING BACK MY MORNINGS

in the morning I would record the time that I got out of bed. Because I
used my phone as my alarm clock, I did not have to reset it each day,
which saved me an extra step at night. In addition to those steps, I also
monitored my sleep a week to get a baseline. Also, because I gave
myself ample time in the morning, I found myself making breakfast
and coffee. This added bonus was great because I actually saved
money and was able to eat healthier.
Section Four: Conclusions
Because of my desire to have more time to myself, I was more
aware of the research and was more inclined to get up. I think I were to
do this again I would try it for seven days a week just to see those
outliers and how they affect the rest of the week. This might be
something to try again over summer when I dont have a set schedule
and I can really see how my body responds. Since this research has
ended, I have actually continued to get up earlier in the morning and
Ive noticed a significant difference in my attitude and my outlook for
the day. Those few minutes I was able to savor to myself made such a
difference that I felt it was necessary to keep.
Section Five: General Comments
The part I liked best about this research process was being able
to change something about myself in a positive way and have it affect
how I interact with others. I also enjoyed monitoring my sleep to see
how much I got per night. I learned form this process just how little

TAKING BACK MY MORNINGS

time I actually need to change the outlook of my day. I spent so many

days rushing out the door complaining about not being able to have
coffee, or stopping for coffee and making up an excuse as to why I
barely made it to work on time. Now I feel better about myself and my
day ahead.