How to Get up in the Morning Feeling Fresh

Co-authored by Marc Kayem, MD

Last Updated: March 5, 2023 References Approved

To wake up feeling fresh, develop a routine that allows you to maintain your healthiest patterns even when you're tired. Go to bed and wake up at the same hour every day if you can. Develop a comprehensive bedtime routine that teaches your body to fall asleep on time. Wake up in a way that lets your body know it's really morning, time to rise and shine.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Getting a Good Night's Sleep

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Sleep long and hard. Adults should sleep 7-8 hours a night. Children and teenagers need closer to 9-11 hours of sleep. Getting more or less sleep than you need can cause you to wake up feeling sleepy. Your sleep should be consistent: avoid waking up at night if possible. You might need to get a little extra sleep if you have been sleep deprived, but try to generally keep the same bedtime and same waking up time.^{[1]
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Mayo Clinic
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- All adults need 7-8 hours of sleep, but older adults may need to spend more time in bed, and may need to take naps. As you grow older you will sleep more lightly, and wake up more frequently.
- Toddlers need 9-10 hours of sleep (plus roughly 3 hours of naptime), and infants need even more.
2
Sleep in a dark and quiet room. Close the curtains if you live in a neighborhood with lots of streetlamps. Turn LED clocks away, computers and televisions off, and skip the nightlight. Avoid exposure to bright light in the hours before you sleep. Try reading a book instead of watching TV or using your computer before bed.^{[2]
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- Consider earplugs if your room is always noisy. Or, ask your neighbors and everyone who lives in your house to respect your bedtime and keep the volume down.^{[3]
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- Avoid looking at your phone before bed, as it exposes you to light and is likely to contain distractions that can keep you up.
- Wear a sleep mask if you cannot keep your room dark enough in the morning.
- Consider hanging blackout curtains for a deep dark effect.
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3
Keep your temperature down. You will sleep more soundly if your body is cool and temperate. Being too warm or hot can disturb your sleep. Sleep in the nude if you can, as this will help your body naturally regulate its temperature. Keep a few layers of sheets and blankets on your bed, so you can adjust for warmth.
- Regulate temperature with heat or air conditioning, but consider lowering the power. Your house may cool down naturally at night during the summer, and doesn't need to be as warm at night during the winter.
- Your body does not need as much heat at night, as its core temperature lowers in your sleep.^{[4]
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4
Exercise during the day. Dance, walk, ride a bike, or take yourself to the gym. Getting your daily exercise in will help your body rest at night. Do not, however, exercise in the two hours before you sleep, as your body will be too excited to rest. Gentle stretching is acceptable.
- Being fit and healthy is a key part of sleeping well. Quit smoking, and avoid smoking before bedtime.^{[5]
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Eat and drink responsibly. Eat your final meal a few hours before you lie down, or earlier, if you are prone to stomach acid. Go to bed sated. Being hungry will disrupt your sleep. Drink plenty of water during the day, but do not try to compensate for a dry day right before bed. Drinking a lot before sleeping might make you wake up in the night for bathroom visits.
- If you drink caffeine, avoid drinking it in the six hours before you sleep. Dark chocolate should also be avoided as an after-dinner dessert. Caffeine stays in your body for up to 12 hours, and can make it hard for you to sleep.^{[6]
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- Opt for herbal tea, warm milk, and other relaxing beverages in the evening.
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Avoid alcohol, medication, and drugs. Try not to drink before bed. Alcohol at night can help you feel sleepy, but it actually interferes with the depth of your sleep.^{[7]
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Research source} Many drugs will make it hard for you to sleep, including uppers and hallucinogens.
- Sleep medication can interfere with your healthy sleeping patterns. Keep it to a minimum.^{[8]
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- If you do drink alcohol at night, drink plenty of water, at least a cup for every boozy drink you have. It's better to wake up in the night to visit the bathroom than to wake up in the morning with a hangover.
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Avoid long naps if possible. Naps can interfere with your sleep routine. Long naps can make it especially difficult for you to settle down at night. When you do nap, during the day, try to keep it under 30 minutes. Mid afternoon is the time least likely to mess up your sleep schedule.^{[9]
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Mayo Clinic
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Waking Up The Right Way

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Don't use an alarm. Setting an alarm clock, even for the right number of hours, can lessen your quality of sleep. Alarm clocks raise stress and make you wake up stressed, not fresh.^{[10]
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Research source} If you don't need to get up at a certain time, turn off your alarm.
- If you have a week off of work, go the whole time without your alarm clock. Write down the times you wake up.
- If you find that your natural sleep patterns are different than you had suspected, try adjusting your schedule to match it.
- Avoid pressing the snooze button. Your body will not relax entirely into deep sleep when you press snooze, and you might wake up feeling more tired, not less.
2
Get sun on your face. Sun and sunlight let your body know it's time to wake up. As soon as you wake up, open your curtains. Eat breakfast on your porch, if you have one, or by a window that lets in light. During the winter, try using a full-spectrum UV light on dark mornings.^{[11]
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3
Increase your sense of wakefulness. As soon as you wake up, drink a glass of water. Take a shower, put on clean clothing that you really enjoy, and eat a tasty, nutritious breakfast. Drink coffee if you are a coffee drinker. Massage your face to kickstart your circulation.^{[12]
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- Some studies suggest that waking up to bright colors or fresh flowers can boost your mood and energy. Hang a gorgeous painting or cloth on your walls, put out flowers, eat colorful fruit for breakfast, and wake up refreshed.^{[13]
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Expert Q&A
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Question

How do you wake up feeling fresh?

Marc Kayem, MD
Sleep Specialist
Dr. Marc Kayem is a board certified Otolaryngologist and Facial Plastic Surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California. He practices and specializes in cosmetic services and sleep-related disorders. He received his Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Ottawa, is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada.

Marc Kayem, MD

Sleep Specialist

Expert Answer

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Develop a good nightly routine so you have a restful sleep. Eat a healthy, small dinner. Having a big meal just before lying down often gives people some heaviness that will contribute to sleep problems. Focus on healthy foods instead of foods loaded with carbs, sugars, and fats, which might lead to heartburn or indigestion. Don't drink caffeine or take any stimulants in the hours before bed. A cup of coffee or tea has enough caffeine to disrupt your sleep schedule and make it hard to get to sleep. There might also be stimulants in some over-the-counter medications, especially pain medications, that will keep you from falling asleep. Do something relaxing before you go to bed. Schedule a break between the stress of the day and going to sleep. This should be anything that lets you wind down and take your mind off of things, like watching TV, reading a book, or going for a walk.