11 best ways to wake up at 5 AM or earlier

By: Vickie | Updated: 22nd November 2022

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There is something wonderful about waking up early. For starters, you feel energetic, fresh, and enthusiastic. But most of all, the day feels longer, allowing you extra time to indulge in your favorite activities.

There are a lot more benefits and I bet you would be no stranger to them.

But here’s the problem, despite there being many benefits, we find the task of waking up at 5 AM impossible. All thanks to our disturbed sleep cycle and of course indolence.

Well, not anymore!

If you want to change your life, waking up at 5 AM or earlier is the first step. But don’t worry if you find waking up early a burden, we have got it all sorted for you.

All you need is determination, as for the rest, here are 11 clever tips morning people know so you can go after your life’s goals during those early morning hours when the rest of the world is still fast asleep.

Here are the 11 best habits to wake up at 5 AM or earlier

1. A quality sleep

You probably saw it coming, and if you did, then you certainly realize the importance of it. If you have a better night’s sleep, you are more likely to get up early without feeling lethargic.

Here’s what can help.

Eat and sleep early (stating the obvious once again)
Skip the caffeinated products at night – Coffee might be the love of your life but you have to let it go at least before you sleep as it will keep you awake and I’m sure sleeping late is the last thing you need as of now.
Sleep with an eye mask on – Eye masks are a part of a lot of individuals’ sleep routine for a reason- it induces sleep. It is because when you sleep in utter darkness, your nervous system sends a signal to prepare for slumber.
Have a consistent bedtime and get enough sleep – set a goal for 8 hours of sleep. If I want to wake up at 5 am then my sleeping time is 9 pm. (8 hours before).

PS. If you have a screwed up sleep schedule, please be patient because it isn’t going to change in one day. You might have many sleepless nights before establishing a healthy sleep schedule.

2. Just one alarm? Nope, the more the merrier.

You might not be the only person who sets up an alarm, presses the snooze button, and goes off to sleep again. We’ve all been there and with hindsight, we have the solution ready for you.

DO NOT SETTLE FOR LESS, aka, don’t set just one alarm but multiple. You can set it on your phone or many different devices (Alarm clock preferred).

Besides that, there are other ways to add more weight to the challenge.

Maximize volume.
Keep your alarm at a distance – If you do, then you’d have to get out of your bed to turn it off when it rings. (Also, once you do, please don’t go back to bed!)

3. Wake up at the same time consistently

Waking up at a fixed time every day consistently can help you set your body clock. Consequently, you’d notice that you wouldn’t even require an alarm, your body will wake you up.

4. Stay hydrated

You would know that drinking more and more water comes packed with benefits, but did you know that it can also help you sleep? Well, now you do, and the logic behind this is simple. You need water for the proper functioning of your body and sleeping is one of the many functions that your body performs.

Try this: Whenever you find yourself struggling with sleep, drink a few sips of water and you’d notice that you’d sleep within a few minutes.

PS, don’t drink too much, you wouldn’t want to make trips to the bathroom repeatedly.

5. Go outdoors

Waking up at 5 AM doesn’t mean opening your eyes for a while and then going back to sleep. Therefore, when you wake up, get out of your bed, do a five-minute stretch, and then go outside. You can exercise, meditate, or take a short walk.

Added motivation? You are the most energetic early morning, so now would be the perfect time to exercise.

6. Wash your face

We probably learned in school (when we used to fall asleep in classes) that washing your face can drive away sleep.

Therefore, it is advisable to go wash your face and brush your teeth immediately after you wake up.

7. Take the help of family members or any friends who wake up at 5 am

If your phone or alarm doesn’t work, taking help from friends and family is the last resort. Hence, if you have a family member nearby who wakes up at 5 am or earlier, ask them to wake you up as well.

Ps. If you are super serious about waking up early, you might as well ask them to be harsh with you even if it involves leaving the door open, switching off the fan/AC, or throwing away a bucket of water at you (literally!).

8. Keep your blinds open

This might only work if you happen to live at a location where it is not dark at 5 am. If you do, then you are in luck.

As mentioned, the trick is to sleep with your blinds or curtains open. The simple reason is that you are more likely to sleep like a baby in darkness. Therefore, allowing some light might disturb your sleep and can help you wake up early.

9. Challenge yourself

There’s no better way to bring out your best or achieve your goals than challenging yourself. Therefore, a good idea would be to perceive waking up at 5 AM as a challenge.

Moreover, if it’s too much for you, you can take it slow. Do not focus on it as an everyday challenge but convince your mind that it’s just this once.

And when you finally succeed, continue to challenge yourself for an extra day until it becomes a habit for you.

10. A little mind convincing

All it takes is a little motivation to reach your goals and much to our surprise, words can be the best motivators.

Therefore, in this present context, you have to convince your mind with certain words.

Try telling your mind this.

“It might seem hard to get out of bed right now, but it is just one body movement I have to make, and then it will all be easy and I’ll be out of bed before I know it.”

11. Get rid of your comforts

Wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket is all you need for a good night’s sleep. But when you wake up, you have to make sure you don’t end up sleeping again. Therefore, getting rid of this cozy stuff might be your best shot.

That is to say, just when you open your eyes, the first thing you have to do is throw your blanket away. It might seem hard given that you would be sleepy, but still, convince yourself to go with it.

Lastly,

As much as it is easier to say, I understand how hard early waking can be for some people. But even the most difficult challenges can be mastered if you keep on trying. Well then, don’t stress much, you got this!

More FAQ’s about Waking Early

Is waking up at 5 am good?

Yes, it allows you to get more done during the day. If you have kids, then its also the perfect time to enjoy coffee in peace and get a few things out the way before the hectic of the day starts.