Every year until now, the thing I looked forward to the most about getting out of school was being able to sleep in. When I say I used to sleep in, that would be an understatement. I used to love to stay in bed all day, watch movies, and not get up until I absolutely had to do something. I dreaded days I had to wake up before 10 a.m. for any reason and did everything in my power to avoid having to do so.

This year, I decided that I was tired of wasting my whole day sleeping, so I started getting up as early as 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. every morning, making a cup of coffee, and trying to do something productive with my time. While more hours in the day was what I was after, I found so many more added benefits to dragging myself out of bed.

Since I've been getting up early, I've had so much more energy. When I used to lay in bed all day, I would finally get up and lay around all day until I had something I absolutely had to do. When I get up early, I am so much more motivated to get things done, whether that be cleaning up around the house or going to the track to get a quick run in.

I found that I've also been in an overall better mood. There's something about making a healthy breakfast with a cup of coffee after the sun has just come up and allowing some time for myself in the mornings that really sets a good mood that I can carry into the rest of my day. Speaking of breakfast, last summer, I probably only ate the first meal of the day a few times because I always slept through it, and toast and eggs have never tasted so good.

In addition, getting up early and being active throughout my day has done wonders for my sleeping schedule.I have been able to fall asleep much easier and don't have as much trouble sleeping through the night as I used to, which was a constant struggle for me throughout the school year. Since I have more energy, I don't spend as much time napping, either.

So, if you're looking to make a positive lifestyle change this summer, I highly recommend not sleeping the few summer days we have away. Coming from someone who was the complete opposite of a morning person, I'm here to tell you that it is possible to become one if you really try. Now, when I go back to school, I plan on scheduling 8 a.m. classes instead of dodging them at all costs.