How To Not Hate Waking Up Early (Even When It's Still Dark Outside)

The temptation to stay in bed after your alarm goes off is all too real during the early fall season—so we asked board-certified sleep specialist Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., about his top tips for waking up refreshed, no matter how dark it is outside. Here's what he said:

Some types prefer early mornings, while others are more creatures of the night, due to their circadian rhythms. The goal is to understand your unique chronotype so you can go to bed and wake up at a time that suits you best.

Once you know what your chronotype is, Breus advises waking up every day at the time recommended for that chronotype. "When a person does wake at the specific time allotted to their chronotype, then the melatonin production in their head is already slow, if not stopped," he explains. This will help take sleep inertia, or grogginess that occurs when you wake from deep sleep, out of the equation on dark winter mornings.

If your sleep schedule as a whole could use a helping hand, taking a sleep-supporting supplement before bed can help you fall asleep faster and stay in deep sleep longer.*

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In fact, Breus is big on bringing a lightbox with him whenever he travels, noting that it really helps energize him on dark mornings.

Sometimes all you need when you're groggy is a good oxygen boost. Once you roll out of bed, Breus recommends "waking up" your respiratory system as well, with 15 deep breaths to help flood your brain with some oxygen. "It will certainly help," he notes, adding he personally practices the Wim Hof Method on a daily basis.

While you don't need to do a full-blown workout right when you wake up, Breus says that moving your body in the morning will help get your energy levels up fast, "because it really forces your metabolism to increase in pace quickly."

To that end, he recommends reaching for water or other noncaffeinated drinks first thing in the a.m. before switching over to coffee or your energizing beverage of choice.

Waking up on cold, dark winter mornings may not be easy, but it is possible—and further, it's possible to make it easier with a few helpful hacks. Having a consistent sleep schedule, knowing your chronotype, and having a quick but effective morning routine to get energized can go a long way toward starting your day off strong.