Changing Sleep-Wake Habits… It can be tough to tell yourself to stop hitting the snooze button and just get up. Who hasn’t used “five more minutes” at least once in their life? Even if you go to sleep at a reasonable hour, it can be tempting to stay in bed a little longer and put off handling the day’s work.

There’s a massive reason why you should make the effort – the later you wake up, the less time you’ll have to be productive! So how do you make yourself get up early, even if you’re not a morning person? These simple techniques should have you out and about before your alarm clock starts ringing!

Take Control Of Your Environment

One of the biggest long-term solutions to waking problems? Fixing up your bedroom so it becomes more conducive to waking – and staying awake! Put your alarm clock or cellphone somewhere far from your bed, so you have to get up to turn it off instead of simply swiping or hitting a button.

If you have a coffee maker that can be timed, have it timed to have a fresh pot ready by your wake-up time. These small things will make it harder for you to stay in bed, which means greater chances of you waking up at the right time.

Use Peer Pressure To Make Yourself Accountable

This tip may sound silly, but you can set up a daily check-in group with your friends who want to (and need to) get up early in the morning.

This is one of the effective ways when it comes to changing sleep-wake habits when you already have a few early risers in the same group. Their consistent success will make you accountable and compel you to get up earlier, if not as early as them.

Give Yourself Something To Look Forward To In The Morning

One of the biggest factors for failing to get up early is making it seem like a punishment. If you hate exercise, stop making that your first morning activity. Prep ingredients for a good breakfast the night before.

Let yourself use that fancy body wash for your early shower, or light that soothing candle for morning meditation. These small joys will give you that extra push to think that waking up is actually pretty nice, instead of something to dread.

Allow Some “Sleep In Days”

You are less likely to feel motivated about an early wake-up time – or to stick to this habit – if it feels like you’re doing it without anything to look forward to. Treat sleeping in as a reward and set yourself a treat day where you can sleep in and not feel guilty!

This could be a weekend, or a special holiday, or your birthday. When you have this little indulgence that tells you you can sleep in sometimes too, waking up early doesn’t seem so bad!

Set Realistic Expectations For Changing Sleep-Wake Habits

Let’s be real: you won’t start waking up at 6 a.m. every day if your old habit was to wake up at 9 a.m. or later. Make your changes incremental: start waking up 15 minutes, then 20, then half an hour earlier than your old wake-up time. By introducing the change gradually, you are less likely to miss the mark and give up when you fail.

Waking up early doesn’t have to be a chore. With the right habits, you can train yourself to become a morning person and make the most of your day! Give these simple tips a go, and over time, you’ll find yourself rising with a cheerier disposition and a lot more energy.