How to get up early in the morning

Discover 8 healthier late-night snacks, plenty of energy-boosting breakfast recipes, plus tips on the importance of a morning routine.

How to wake up early

Work out how much sleep you need

If you’re frequently waking up tired, there’s a good chance you’re not getting enough sleep or getting poor quality sleep. How much sleep we need each night varies depending on our age and genes, with children requiring more than adults. Adults typically need between 7-9 hours of sleep per night, but some of us need more or less.

It’s also possible to get too much sleep - ‘hypersomnia’ - which can not only hinder the next night’s sleep, but is also associated with poor health outcomes. To start rising earlier, track your sleep needs by keeping a sleep diary through the week. There are lots of sleep trackers built into smartwatches, fitness trackers and smartphones to help you keep a log, and some will monitor your sleep quality, too.

Keep a consistent bedtime

Once you’ve figured out your optimal sleeping hours, decide what works best for you. You could aim for 10pm – 6am or 11pm – 7am. Whatever you plan, try to keep a consistent bedtime so your new morning habit will be formed. If you diligently go to bed early during the week but regularly go to bed late at the weekend, it may be undoing all your hard work.

Change habits gradually

If you’re radically changing your body clock, it may be difficult to suddenly adapt to an earlier sleep and waking time. Shift 15-20 minutes every few days, so that in a week you can bring bedtime forward by roughly an hour, and thereby wake an hour earlier. Making gradual changes like this will help you form a habit that sticks.

Create an environment for sleep

Creating a bedroom environment which is low in distractions and stimulations will promote a sense of calmness that fosters healthy sleep. Try black out blinds, switch off or dim the lights, invest in duvets with the correct tog for the season, and wear pyjamas which keep you cool rather than too hot or cold. Keeping a tidy bedroom may also be conducive in helping you to drift off.

Avoid screens and bright lights

Blue light, the kind that comes from phone and computer screens and LEDs, sends the same signals to the brain as sunlight, which blocks production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Ideally, it’s best to avoid devices about two hours before it’s time for bed. If this proves unrealistic, make the bedroom a distraction-free zone by turning off non-essential notifications on your phone and lowering the brightness on screens.

Start the day well

Aim to open your curtains or blinds as soon as you start your day as sunlight will naturally kick-start your circadian rhythm, enabling you to feel awake and alert. In the dark winter months, turning on a bright light will help when it’s still dark outside, and if you find dark mornings particularly difficult, you can invest in specialist light boxes designed for light therapy.

Prep the night before to avoid the rush

If your brain often goes into overdrive before bed or during the night, try preparing for the next day before you go to bed. Lay out clothes and prepare a lunchbox if you’ll be out during the day. Or try making a list of ‘tasks for tomorrow’ in a notebook to ‘unplug’ your brain and help you switch off before sleep.

Consider your diet

Some food and drinks have sleep-inducing benefits, while others are stimulants that may prevent sleep. The amino acid tryptophan helps the production of sleep-inducing brain chemicals serotonin and melatonin, so foods rich in tryptophan, such as dairy, oats, bananas and eggs may help to promote sleep. Research suggests consuming foods high in tryptophan alongside some carbohydrates could aid sleep as the carbs help to improve the availability of tryptophan, however more studies are needed to prove this link.

Insomnia is also one of the main symptoms of magnesium deficiency, so eating more magnesium-rich foods, such as spinach, nuts, seeds, fish and wholegrains, may help.

Caffeine is a well-known stimulant and affects people differently. If you feel wired after a coffee or tea, switch to non-caffeinated options after lunchtime. Some people report that herbal drinks such as camomile aid good sleep, and you can also buy special blends containing a mix of different sleep-inducing ingredients.

Exercise

Exercise can be very helpful in promoting good sleep, both in helping your body feel tired enough to fall asleep and feel energised when you wake. It’s important to do exercise at the right time for your body - monitor the timing of any activity and how it affects your sleep patterns.

Make a tempting breakfast the night before

Preparing a breakfast you love the night before will give you something to look forward to when you wake. Get inspired with our overnight oat recipes, breakfast muffins or cook these slow-cooker breakfast beans overnight.

Don’t linger in bed

Allow your body to associate bed with sleep - lingering in bed longer than needed can make it harder to fall asleep when you want to. If you’re having trouble falling asleep for 20 minutes or more, get out of bed and do something to make you tired, such as reading or gentle stretching.

A final word on how to get up early in the morning…

Being able to rise early in the morning is often linked to good sleep hygiene. As with all habits, with the will to make changes to your lifestyle and a consistent approach, new habits can quickly be formed.

For some people, sleep issues can arise from a number of medical conditions. If you think you have a more serious problem with sleep, visit your GP or a sleep specialist.

Read more:

How to sleep better
The best sleep trackers reviewed
10 tips for better sleep hygiene
10 top tips to support your child's sleep
Top 10 evidence-based health benefits of magnesium

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.