For many of us, the thought of waking up earlier in the morning—to exercise, eat a nice breakfast, or meditate—seems doable. Just go to bed early, and you’ll wake up early—right? Not quite. If you’ve tried every tip in the book on how to wake up earlier, you know becoming a “morning person” is easier said than done. 

So, if you aren’t a natural morning person (but want to be!), how can you become one? Science has entered the chat. Here are the expert tips and tools you need to adjust your sleep patterns and wake up earlier. 

Why You Might Struggle to Wake up Early

Waking up early might feel difficult thanks to your own personal “wiring.” More scientifically speaking, your sleep pattern is genetically predetermined and encoded within your DNA, explains Shelby Harris, PsyD, a clinical associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

It’s a trait that can be traced back to Paleolithic hunter-gatherer societies that prioritized group safety around the clock. Some people adapted to stay alert during the daytime, while others took on the responsibility of keeping an eye on the group and protecting them from predators and external dangers during the nighttime. As generations passed, the genetic characteristics of these distinct groups may have contributed to the emergence of the morning larks and night owls that we recognize today, among other factors.

Morning larks tend to wake up early with the rising sun and have the most energy early in the day. Night owls, on the other hand, have later sleep schedules and reach peak energy levels after the sun sets.

These schedules are functions of what’s called your circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is the 24-hour biological clock inside every living organism that regulates various physiological and behavioral processes, including hormone production, body temperature, and—yep—sleep-wake cycles. “We all have a circadian rhythm that creates wakefulness and sleepiness on a predictable pattern,” says W. Chris Winter, MD, a sleep specialist, neurologist, and host of Sleep Unplugged. “For many, their wake-up time is simply not aligned with their circadian wakefulness pattern, but with effort, this can be improved.”

Some people have circadian rhythm disorders, a category of sleep disorders that mess with the sleep-wake cycles. If you have one, it might make it extra challenging for you to wake up any earlier.

How to Wake up Early

It may seem obvious, but being able to get up early really does start with a good night’s sleep. And there’s research that backs up the benefits of getting more Zzzs, says Aric Prather, PhD, a psychiatry professor at the University of California, San Francisco. According to a 2022 study in the journal Affective Science, people who got more sleep than they typically do reported feeling more joyful and less stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed when they woke up, he says.

Beyond getting plenty of Zzzs, here are some other expert-approved tips on how to wake up early.

1. Get On a Sleep Schedule

To help regulate your body’s internal clock, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. (The exception to this rule, some experts now say, is that it may be beneficial to sleep in an extra hour or two on non-work days if you didn’t snooze enough during the work week.)

A consistent wake-up time is good for your health too. Researchers from Harvard Medical School found regularly changing your usual bedtime and wake-up time by more than 90 minutes, whether earlier or later, significantly raises your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

“The more consistent we can be with our timing, the more efficient our body tends to work,” Prather says. “If you stabilize your wake-up time, you will ultimately experience more predictable bedtimes, and likely a more restorative and restful sleep experience.”

2. Plan Your Morning

After you’ve chosen a wake-up time that’ll work for you throughout the week, plan out how you’re going to make it happen, Prather says. “If [you’re] using an alarm, pick one you like. And plan out what you are going to do as soon as it goes off,” he says, recommending that you don’t snooze your alarm if you can avoid it. “Maybe your first step is coffee. Prep it the night before.”

3. Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine 

Kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from a bedtime ritual. You, too, can wind down with activities like reading, gentle stretches, or a warm bath to signal to your body that it’s time to catch some Zzzs. “Creating a relaxing nighttime routine that you do before bed every night can help you fall asleep faster and wake up easier in the morning,” Harris says.

4. Optimize Your Bedroom

Prep your bedroom for a good night's sleep by keeping it dark, quiet, and cool. Block out disruptive light and noise by using blackout shades and earplugs. And adjust the thermostat. When your bedroom is too hot or too cold, it can be difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. The ideal sleep temperature varies depending on your age and personal preference, but the National Sleep Foundation suggests somewhere between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. 

5. Power Down

Cut back on pre-slumber screen time in your quest to wake up early. It might be easier said than done, but reduce your exposure to electronic devices at least an hour before sleep to minimize the effects of blue light on your circadian rhythm.

6. Embrace the Morning Light 

Natural light in the morning can help reset your internal clock. “Sunlight is critical to shutting down the melatonin system that helps facilitate sleep,” Prather says. “My suggestion, if possible, is to get 20 minutes of sunlight as soon as you awaken.” Grab your water or coffee, get outside (or near a window), and let the sun do its thing in helping you wake up early.

7. Don’t Do an Intense Workout Too Late  

Working out triggers the release of endorphins, which are chemicals that can stimulate brain activity and might make you feel more awake. This is all good news—when you want to be awake, that is. But if you’re trying to go to bed earlier so that you wake up earlier, it's a good idea to schedule your exercise routine at least 1–2 hours before bedtime.

Another reason to not work out too close to bedtime? Exercise elevates your core body temperature. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the rise in core body temperature serves as a signal to your internal clock, indicating it's time to be alert. But as time passes (typically within 30–90 minutes), your core body temperature gradually decreases, aiding the onset of sleepiness, experts say.

8. Avoid Super-Long Naps

A midday power nap can improve your mood and make you feel more alert, especially if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. But try to keep naps to about 20–30 minutes and definitely under an hour, or you could throw off your circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep at night and wake up early in the morning.

Benefits of Waking up Early

If you want to start waking up earlier and need an extra dose of motivation, there are a few advantages that come with the practice. Here are just a few benefits of waking up early:

Are There Disadvantages of Waking up Early?

All that said, waking up early may not be for everyone. If you’re unable to fall asleep until later at night, to the point where waking up early forces you to seriously skimp on sleep, then setting your alarm for 5 AM probably isn’t the right move. 

Getting too little sleep is linked with worse immune health, higher risk of heart disease, and more car crashes, to name just a few risks. It’s more important to get enough sleep and avoid these negative side effects of sleep deprivation than to try to capitalize on the benefits of waking up early.

When to Talk with Your Doctor

If, despite your best efforts, you continue to struggle with waking up early, it may be time to consult a doctor or sleep specialist. This is especially important if your difficulty waking up early is affecting your daily life, productivity, and overall wellbeing.

“Talk to your doctor or a sleep specialist if you have been trying to wake up earlier for 2 weeks and have not seen any improvement, or if you are routinely having trouble with the quality or quantity of sleep,” Harris advises. 

Your doctor or sleep specialist will try several different methods to diagnose what’s going on and why you aren’t able to wake up earlier. In addition to taking a deep dive into your medical history and doing a physical exam, they’ll likely have you answer a sleep questionnaire and start keeping a sleep log. They may also recommend polysomnography (an overnight sleep study conducted in a sleep center) or a home sleep test. 

But it’s important to remember that it may not be a waking-up issue at all, Prather says. “Pretty much anything that impacts your ability to sleep well can make it hard for someone to get up and get going,” he says. Here are some of the most common disorders that affect your sleep: