Want To Start Waking Up Earlier? Try This
“I want to start waking up earlier.” Ever heard yourself thinking or saying this? Last week, I shared my morning routine on my Instagram page and it was great to see so many of you reaching out asking how you can start waking up earlier too.
I then went away and created this simple, five-step process for you. It’s science-backed, tried and tested and rooted in circadian biology. The goal: to enable you to wake up earlier consistently - not just for a week, but for good.
No more snoozing the alarm, rushing through the morning and sprinting into the office (tired and late), balancing your coffee in one hand while you try to respond to an email on your phone in the other. Instead, you could be arriving each day into the office well-rested, energised and with that deep sense of satisfaction having already won your morning.
Sound good? Let’s get into it!
Step 1: Put your phone away 90 minutes before bed
The first key to waking up earlier is going to sleep earlier. The biggest blocker to this? Late night doom scrolling.
The blue light emitted from your phone suppresses the release of melatonin (your body’s sleep hormone), keeping you wired when you should be winding down. And if your phone sits on your bedside-table, within reach while you are in bed, it is very difficult to resist that temptation.
The fix: putting your phone away 90 minutes before bed (perhaps on charge in the living room) and keeping it there until the morning.
“But Patrick, I need my phone in my room as my alarm clock.” I have two better options for you. Option A: buy an old-school alarm clock. Option B (what I do): use a TabTime Vibrating Alarm Reminder Watch (you’ll find it on Amazon).
Some relationship advice (not my expertise, but speaking from experience): Option B is great if you don’t want to wake up your partner when you begin rising earlier!
Step 2: Get morning sunlight within the first 30-60 minutes of waking
Morning sunlight sends the signal to your body that the day has begun. It boosts your natural morning cortisol spike and raises your core body temperature - two mechanisms that increase wakefulness.
How much sunlight do we need?
Sunny days: 5–10 minutes
Overcast days: 20–30 minutes
I know, for those of us from our community in the northern hemisphere, winter is fast approaching (yipee!) and your new wake up time may be before sunrise. What do we do then?
Get artificial light into the eyes (by turning on your lights at home, or getting a “SAD Lamp” if you are super nerdy like me), then, once the sun begins to rise, get outdoors for your morning sunlight.
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Step 3: Get 10 minutes of morning movement
Early morning movement amplifies that healthy cortisol spike and helps “phase advance” your circadian rhythm (fancy language for shifting your body clock earlier).
Your body quickly learns this pattern. Once you establish the consistent habit of morning movement, your body will anticipate this movement making you feel more alert in the morning.
The amount needed is surprisingly small: just 10 minutes of light movement is sufficient.
A brisk walk, a short mobility routine or a quick home workout is enough. And, if you can do it outside and double up your morning movement with your morning sunlight exposure, this powerful stacking of the two makes the signal even stronger.
Step 4: Consume food and caffeine (strategically)
When we consume food in the early morning it sends another powerful signal to our bodies, communicating the same message as the morning sunlight and morning movement: “the day has started, it's time to get going!”
Regularly timing your first meal (perhaps a protein rich snack if you don’t want a full breakfast) earlier in the day helps advance your circadian clock (i.e. bring it forward).
This can be combined with bringing your dinner earlier to align your eating with your new schedule (late night eating is a real killer for early rising!).
Coffee, tea or whatever your caffeinated tipple of choice may be, can also be used tactically to boost wakefulness during the day. Here are some simple guidelines I suggest (for those who enjoy caffeine, if it is not for you, no problem):
If you experience heavy crashes in energy in the afternoon, try waiting for 60-90 minutes upon waking before consuming caffeine, to boost afternoon wakefulness
If you do not experience heavy crashes in energy in the afternoon, consuming caffeine within the first 60 minutes of waking likely won’t negatively impact your wakefulness later in the day
Do not consume more than two strong coffees a day
Aim to have your last sip of a caffeinated drink 10-12 hours before you plan to sleep.
Step 5: Plan something you enjoy into your new morning routine
“The power of reframing things cannot be overstated. It is significantly easier to find a way to reframe your experiences as enjoyable while you improve them, rather than waiting for them to be done before you can give yourself license to be happy.” Rory Sullivan
When we plan something that we enjoy into our new morning routine (could be working out, journaling, meditation, reading or simply enjoying a cup of coffee in the piece and quiet of the still morning), waking up earlier no longer feels like a chore but something to look forward to.
A final message from me before you put these steps into practice: shifting your body clock takes time (usually about 3 days) and consistency.
It will hurt at first. But if you can keep sending these consistent signals to your body, you will quickly get to that place where rising earlier feels effortless. Until then, some important things to remember during this transition period:
It is key that you get up at your new desired wake up time even if it means you don’t get your full 7-9 hours of sleep. We need to give a consistent signal.
If you feel sleepy in the afternoon during these 3 days, do not grab the coffee. This will derail the whole mission. Resist that temptation and after 3 days you will be thanking me.
If after 5 days you feel your body hasn’t re-adjusted, this is a signal that something is wrong with the strategy and it might need further investigation.