6 Ways to Wake Up Easier When It’s Still Dark Outside

If you’re not a rise-and-shine type, peeling yourself out of bed on dark winter mornings can be particularly challenging. There’s even a scientific explanation for why you long to snooze all morning. Our circadian rhythm, which is the schedule our body follows in a 24-hour cycle and is often called our internal clock, is affected by light. We’re supposed to sleep when it’s dark and be alert when it’s light. Rousing to your alarm when it’s pitch black outside is fighting against nature. “Light is the cue that tells our brain and body that it’s time to wake up. When we must wake up before sunrise, our circadian rhythm, or internal clock, is still in sleep mode,” explains Erin Flynn Evans, PhD, MPH, who leads the NASA Ames Research Center Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory and is a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. 

The good news is that you can make the struggle easier with a few good habits, according to sleep experts. Here’s what they recommend.

Maintain a consistent sleep schedule 

You’ve probably heard this advice a thousand times—and that’s because it’s one of the most important things you can do, according to the experts we spoke with. Maintaining a routine trains your internal clock to expect sleep and wakefulness at certain times each day, explains Charissa Chamorro, PhD, an assistant Clinical Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Irregular schedules, on the other hand, keep your body guessing. “When you go to bed and wake up at different times, your brain doesn’t know when to start releasing the hormones that help you wake up or wind down,” says Shelby Harris, a licensed psychologist, PsyD, Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (DBSM), and Director of Sleep Health at Sleepopolis. As a result, you may not feel sleepy when you want to get some rest and may be groggy when it’s time to wake up.

However, late nights are inevitable—especially on the weekends. Ideally, you want to stay within an hour of your typical sleep and wake times. So, if you go to bed at 11 p.m., it’s best not to stretch that past midnight. If you go beyond that, just get back on track. “In these cases, just do your best to get back into your routine the next day,” Chamorro says. And try not to sleep past your usual wake-up time. Also, avoid sleeping in too much later than your established wake time.

Don’t hit the snooze button

If you habitually silence your alarm for more time in bed, those few extra minutes of shut-eye can backfire, says Harris. “When you fall back asleep after your alarm, your body starts another sleep cycle that it doesn’t have time to finish,” she explains. “That leaves you groggier and makes getting out of bed even harder.”

What’s more, your body starts to think the first buzzer is a false alarm because you’ve repeatedly ignored it. “It’s as if you’re telling yourself that it’s not time to wake up. It’s just time to lay in bed a little longer,” explains Chamorro. “When you consistently get up when the alarm goes off, you are training your brain to know that the alarm is a signal of wakefulness,” Chamorro says. 

Try this: Set your alarm for a time that you can realistically get out of bed. If you have a few extra minutes in the morning, Chamorro recommends setting your alarm for a bit later—and then getting up as soon as the alarm chimes!

Get plenty of light in the A.M.

The sudden noise from your alarm can feel, well, alarming. For a gentler approach, Chamorro recommends using a sunrise clock, which uses gradual light to wake you up. It’s important that the clock is close enough to your bed that the light will have an effect, advises Chamorro. 

Once you’re out of bed, don’t fumble around in the dark—turn on the lights! “This will tell your circadian rhythm that it’s time to wake up,” says Flynn Evans. “Brighter, bluer lighting is best because it mimics the natural cue that your body gets from the sun.”

Make your house warm and cozy

If possible, program your thermostat so that your room reaches around 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit about 30 minutes before your alarm goes off, recommends Harris. “Heat can be a great wake-up cue because it mimics your body’s natural rhythm, where your core temperature rises in the morning,” she says. 

Have something to look forward to every morning 

“I often recommend that people establish an enjoyable morning routine that they can look forward to as a way to motivate them to get out of bed,” says Chamorro. This doesn’t need to be anything time-consuming or complicated. Chamorro recommends journaling, listening to music, stretching, or having a warm beverage. 

Get some physical activity 

A 30-minute, moderately intense exercise session can make you less groggy in the morning, and more alert throughout the day, says Chamorro. “Physical activity promotes better sleep quality by increasing deep sleep, which helps you wake up feeling more refreshed,” explains Chamorro. 

Does it matter when you have your gym session? Yes and no. “I recommend exercising in the morning so that you get the full benefit of those energy-inducing chemical hormones like endorphins and neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine first thing in the morning when you need it most,” Chamorro says. If you struggle with early workouts, Chamorro has a few tips to make it easier. First, set your clothes out the night before so there’s less to do in the morning. Second, reward yourself for exercising, such as listening to a podcast while you work out or picking up a latte on the way to the gym. “Giving yourself something to look forward to will increase the chances that you will follow through with getting out of bed,” she says. 

But if you’re really not an A.M. activity person, it is fine to exercise later in the day as long as you avoid strenuous activity two hours before bedtime. Physical activity raises your core body temperature, heart rate, and can trigger your body to release adrenaline, all of which can increase energy and make it more difficult to fall asleep, according to Chamorro.