Do you find yourself immediately wanting to go back to bed the minute your feet hit the floor? Are you ready to close the blinds before you’ve even opened them?

Thousands of people suffer from these same sleepy symptoms, so no, you’re not alone. Sleep is important to live a healthy, happy lifestyle. That’s why I want to make sure you get your sleep life back on track. I want you to be able to go to bed tired and wake up refreshed and ready to go!

Before you roll your eyes at me and crawl back into bed, try a few of these tried and true methods that will have you awake in minutes! 

1. Go to bed earlier.

Do you want to wake up early? Then go to bed early. This may seem like the obvious fix but one of the best ways to wake yourself up in the morning is to go to bed earlier. If you get the right amount of sleep for your brain and body, you should have no problem getting up in the morning.

National Sleep Foundation suggest that adults ages 26 to 64 years old need about 7-9 hours of sleep every night. So, if you’re going to bed at 1 and getting up at 6 this could be the culprit. So tonight, give the sandman more time to make a visit to your house and try to get a solid 7 hours of sleep.

2. Don’t get too much sleep.

Doesn’t make much sense, does it? However, just like not enough sleep can cause you to have difficulty waking up in the mornings, so can too much sleep. This is because your body has natural rhythms.

When you upset those rhythms, like getting less than 7-9 hours of sleep or even more, your body doesn’t know how to behave. One of the best ways to resolve this issue is to find how much sleep you need and aim for that number every night. To wake yourself up in the morning, do get too much sleep. Find your balance and educate yourself on how much sleep your body needs. After all, we are all different! Some of us need more sleep than others.

3. Drink up.

And no, I don’t mean coffee. Did you know that a glass of water can wake you right up? Think of your first glass of water as the key that starts the ignition. Without the key, you have to resort to other ways of starting the engine, and I don’t’ know about you, but I’m too tired to figure that one out. Before you go to bed tonight, place a glass of water on your nightstand. This way, there are no excuses when you wake up not to have your water.

4. Consider an alarm clock that lights up.

Did you know that they make alarm clocks without that obnoxious beeping noise? Waking up to something soothing, like natural light, can help you get out of bed. These alarm clocks gradually get brighter and play calming noises so as not to jar you out of bed.

Imagine waking up to the sound of waves and your own personal sunrise. Combine this step with that first glass of water and expect to wake up ready to go! Have you ever heard of the saying “sunshine and rainbows”? You might quite literally experience that.

5. Try to stay away from over-consuming alcohol the night before.

As fun as it is to have a few glasses of wine or beer while watching your favorite TV show at night, this can be affecting your sleep more than you know. Even if you’re not waking up hung-over there is still a chance that the alcohol hasn’t left your body entirely by the time you wake up.

If wine is your drink of choice at night, enjoy it! But make sure you drink in moderation and try to drink an equal amount of water before heading to bed. Water can help alcohol leave the body faster.

6. Try to get yourself on a schedule.

One of the biggest reasons why many people struggle to get to sleep is because they do not have a schedule. Some nights they go to bed at 10 and wake up at 7 and other nights they go to bed at 2 and wake up at 9. This might be acceptable for new parents or those with weird work schedules, but that’s it.

If you live a lifestyle that allows you to get yourself on a sleep schedule, do your best to try. When you acknowledge what your body wants/needs, it will reward you. Stay on a schedule, wake up fresh.

7. Exercise regularly each day.

Exercise can have a huge impact on how much or how little you sleep. Exercise can not only help you fall asleep faster but also help you wake up in a better mood. When you get your body moving, you increase your energy levels. Increasing your energy levels means increasing your mood. A happier you means more sleep, less anxiety or depression, and being able to wake up with those same increased energy levels.

If you’re not already getting regular exercise, give it a try. You might be surprised but how much it helps your sleep cycle.

8. Eat good foods.

Just like exercising, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables throughout your day can have an effect on your mood.

If you are not fueling your body properly or getting the right amount of movement throughout the day, this can affect other areas of your life; especially your energy levels and your sleep. But when you take care of your body, you will experience better energy levels and you will have an easier time getting up in the morning.

9. Try a cold shower.

Nothing says, “get up!” quite like a nice cold shower! Cold water can help improve blood circulation. When you get your blood circulating faster, you wake up faster.

Even though a warm shower might sound like the better option, a cold shower is actually better for you in the morning. Besides waking you up, it helps leave your skin and hair healthier! If you don’t want to take an extremely cold shower, try starting with lukewarm water.

10. Limit your screen time.

In the mornings, if getting up quickly is your goal, you should eliminate screen time altogether. Many of us have a tendency to be on our phones first thing in the morning. This has zero health benefits and does the opposite of waking us up quickly.

Too much screen time in the morning can keep us sleepy and is also unproductive. If waking up quick is your goal, don’t let the phone be your go-to. Instead, try a quick 5-minute deep breathing session or even going outside and getting some fresh air.

11. Treat a sleep disorder.

Unfortunately, a sleep disorder might be the underlying issue to the reason you are not able to get out of bed quickly. If you have exhausted this list and have no idea why you are still having a hard time getting out of bed, it might be time to seek medical help. Prescription drugs, melatonin, or breathing devices are often prescribed by a doctor and could help you get the sleep that you need.

However, this is the last recommendation on my list because most people who struggle with getting out of bed in the morning can cure the problem with a few lifestyle changes.

You now know my perspective of the best steps on how to wake up in the morning. But there are two more questions I was really curious about. When do people actually wake up in the morning? And can you wake up without coffee in the morning? I had to do some research to find the answers. This is what I found.

What times does the average person wake up?

Our bodies have a natural pattern to follow the sun. This is why we get tired when the sun goes down and why sometimes we wake up when the sun comes up. According to Edison Research, 1 in 5 Americans are awake and getting ready for their day at 5:30AM. By 6:30AM more than half of Americans are awake. And only 17% have the luxury of sleeping past 8AM. Researchers say that the best time to wake up is to follow the sun’s pattern. When you wake up with the sun, you will have a better time getting out of bed. This is because as the sunrises, the natural light encourages your body and mind to wake up with it.

Is it possible to wake up without coffee?

For many of us, coffee is always the answer. In fact, it might be our only answer. However, have you actually attempted not to drink coffee? What if I told you that there was a better, more natural way to help wake you up in the morning? We drink coffee because caffeine provides a temporary increase in energy levels. However, because that increase is temporary, it will wear off. But is it possible to wake yourself up without coffee? Of course!

Instead of coffee, try having a glass of cold water, a shot of apple cider vinegar (full of probiotics and B vitamins that boost energy levels, or a ginger shot (starts metabolism and increase energy levels).

If you don’t think you can quit coffee cold-turkey, opt for taking it slow. Cut yourself down to 1 glass in the morning and eventually see if you can start your day without it completely.

Getting up in the morning is not an easy task. However, taking care of your body properly can most certainly help! If you’re tired of pulling yourself out of bed in the morning and look forward to the day where you can wake up without feeling groggy, try implementing some of these tips into your life. The way we live our lives and treat our bodies has a direct effect on how well we sleep. If we are not taking care of our body’s needs, one of the first areas will we notice is in our sleep patterns. So, do yourself a favor and start giving your body what it needs. Pay attention to sleep patterns, eat well, exercise more, and just when you think you’ve had enough water – have another glass.