How to Wake Up Early (and Actually Love It)
Let’s be honest—waking up early can feel like a battle you never signed up for. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one in three adults doesn’t get enough sleep on a regular basis, and sleep deprivation makes mornings feel like climbing out of quicksand.
But if you’ve decided it’s time to reclaim your mornings, there are ways to make early wake-ups easier—and even enjoyable. Here’s how to set yourself up for success.
But First, Why Do We Need Sleep So Badly?
We’ll start by stating the obvious: to wake up early in the best state of mind, you need to get a full 7-9 hours of sleep before your alarm clock goes off. A good, full night’s rest is a worthwhile investment–no matter what it costs you in extra personal, work, or social time–because it’s actually essential for maintaining overall health. It allows the body to repair itself, supports hormone regularity, helps prevent weight gain, improves your ability to focus and react appropriately, and actually lowers your risk of many chronic diseases. While you sleep, vital processes like tissue growth, muscle repair, and protein synthesis occur. Additionally, sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation and cognitive function, enhancing learning and problem-solving abilities in your waking hours.
In short: getting enough rest isn’t lazy—it’s a cornerstone of health. When you protect your sleep, your mornings will naturally get easier.
Try Developing a Morning Plan
Having a morning plan is crucial for setting a positive tone for the rest of the day. A morning plan–or a personal menu of worthwhile tasks you can do to help you get started off on the right foot–motivates you to wake up and start your day with purpose. It also helps reduce stress and increases productivity because the decision of what to do with your morning has already been made. Your outfit? Already picked. Your breakfast? Already selected, dishes laid out. Your bag? Already packed. Your precious time? Already divvied up between the things that make you feel the best.
Engaging in motivating activities can make waking up more enjoyable and energizing. Some good examples of things that can go on a morning plan include a 5-minute stretch, a good, refreshing face wash, a healthy breakfast, a quick workout, or even spending a few minutes on a fulfilling hobby (bonus points if it’s one you would have stayed up too late for).
Implement Wake-Up Strategies
Good intentions and careful planning might be enough to get you out of bed SOME of the time, but the rest of the time, when you’re waking up exhausted, frustrated, and pining for another five minutes of sleep, you need to bring out the big guns. And by big guns, we mean strategic alarms.
You might try setting your alarm clock or smartphone across the room before you go to sleep so you have to physically get out of bed to turn off the noise. Another idea is to invest in a specialty alarm, like a daylight alarm that floods your dark room with artificial sunlight, or an alarm that moves around the room and makes you catch it. A whole smorgasbord of alarms exists to engage the heavy sleeper and force a more intentional wake-up. Other examples include…
- motion-sensitive dumbbell alarms that require a certain number of registered reps before the sound will stop
- target alarm clocks that require you to shoot a small laser at the bullseye at a range in order to stop the sound
- bed shaking alarms that shake the mattress and force you onto your feet
- brain-engaging alarms that require you to solve a short puzzle before shutting off
- vibrating wrist cuff alarms that gently shake you awake (perfect if you have a partner who doesn’t need to wake up as early)
If you’re a deep sleeper, experiment until you find the tool that gets you up and keeps you up.
Ease Into It Gradually
Don’t overhaul your sleep schedule overnight. Gradually shift your wake-up time earlier by 5–10 minutes each day until you reach your goal. Research suggests that small, consistent changes are far easier for your body to adapt to than sudden shifts.
Consistency is key—wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. If you slip up, don’t stress. Just return to your routine the next morning. Over time, your internal clock will sync, and early rising will start to feel natural.
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This article was updated on November 13, 2025.