6 Ways To Help You Wake Up At 5 A.M Every Day

Many influencers, CEOs, and gurus contribute their success to waking up early. So anyone looking to improve their productivity, physical health, and mental wellbeing tend to hear recommendations to become an early riser. Waking up at 5 a.m. can provide the time and space to do self-care, practice mindfulness, exercise, and get started on work. But it’s a lot easier said than done, so implement the following tips before setting the alarm clock.

Start slowly

Don’t jump from sleeping in to getting up at 5 a.m. “Your body clock, or circadian rhythm, governs how your body is in sync with all of life, and when you make a shift in that, there will be residual fallout,” says Shawn Stevenson, author of Sleep Smarter: 21 Proven Tips to Sleep Your Way to a Better Body, Better Health and Bigger Success. “By waking up 45 minutes earlier, you proactively created at-home jet lag. If you keep pressing it for several days, your body will eventually sort itself out, but there is a more graceful way to do it.” 

Instead, start waking up 15 minutes earlier for a few days or a week before getting up another 15 minutes earlier. This will help establish consistent early riser habits that’ll be easier to maintain in the future.

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Go to bed earlier

Becoming an early riser shouldn’t get in the way of the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep.

“We get our deep restorative sleep in the early-morning waking hours when REM sleep occurs,” says Damon Raskin, MD, a sleep expert affiliated with Concierge Choice Physicians in Pacific Palisades, California. “If you shorten that, you are going to feel unrefreshed, and you’re not going to have enough sleep.”

Improve your bedtime routine

In the same vein, you should begin your bedtime routine earlier. In fact, you should try to begin winding down about two hours before you plan to go to bed, according to Colleen Carney, PhD, an associate professor and director of the Sleep and Depression Laboratory at Ryerson University in Toronto. 

Winding down should include the end of stimulating, goal-directed activities like exercise and anything work-related. At the same time, you should limit exposure to bright screens or avoid them entirely if you can. Turn off phone notifications, and switch to calming activities like reading, journaling, meditating, doing jigsaw puzzles, etc. 

Turn on bright lights

Waking up early is difficult, especially if it’s still dark out. Counter this by investing in a light box to have light therapy in the morney. If it is sunny out, open up the curtains as soon as possible to help reset your internal clock. This will help you get in the habit of being an early riser. 

Plan ahead

Make mornings as pleasant and seamless as possible by preparing the night before. This can involve laying out your clothes and prepping your breakfast. Additionally, you should draft a to-do list so you can wake up and know what to expect without the stress of trying to remember it all.

If you struggle to get out of bed, put your alarm clock across the room so you have to get up to turn it off. Keep a warm robe and slippers nearby so you don’t have to go from a warm bed straight to the chilly morning air. 

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Find a motive to wake up early

“If you don’t have a reason to get up, and your body wants to rest, forget about it,” Stevenson says. “You need something that will fill that space that is compelling.”

Being an early riser shouldn’t be a form of torture. The morning should be something to enjoy and even look forward to. For instance, if you don’t like exercise, don’t plan to workout first thing in the morning. This time should be reserved for things that improve your well-being, such as a self-care routine or the opportunity to work in a quiet environment with no distractions so you can clock out sooner. 

“You should also take into consideration whether the change in routine will lead to improved productivity, or whether they will just be stuffing more into their day,” says Dr. Nikole Benders-Hadi, a psychiatrist based in New York and the medical director of behavioral health at Included Health. “Regarding work, for example, do you have a set amount of work you need to accomplish each day, where starting earlier enables you to finish earlier, or will getting up earlier simply add more to your plate?”

Early riser or night owl?

Despite the popularity of waking up at 5 a.m. over social media, it’s not the best setup for everyone. Some people focus better at night, and prefer the serenity of midnight to the calm of 5 a.m. 

But even people who stay up late can make the most of their limited morning routine by using some of the same strategies. For instance, they can still prepare their clothes, food, and to-do list the night before. And more importantly, they can take a few moments to “slow down” and practice mindfulness. This can be accomplished by simply not checking emails right away, saying positive affirmations about the coming day, and practicing mindfulness. 

“You’re checking in with your body sensations, your mood that morning, and you’re observing it with non-judgment, with openness,” says Benders-Hadi. “That sets the tone, that sets the rhythm, the speed, [and] the pace of your morning.” 

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