Most of us know whether we are a morning person or a night owl, or fall somewhere in between. Each of us has an internal clock — also known as our circadian rhythm — that naturally determines when we feel the most awake and most tired.
In 2009, neuroscientists found that morning people’s brains were most excited at 9 am, and evening people’s brains were most excited at 9 pm. It’s simply the way were wired.
To preface, there is absolutely nothing wrong with honoring your night owl tendencies — there are studies that show the benefits of this, too. However, a new job, life event, or partner might bring a change in your routine, or maybe you simply have a yearning to make more use of your mornings.
Are you one of those night owls who struggles to drag yourself out of bed in the mornings? Do you hit the snooze button endlessly, then stumble through your routine in a bleary-eyed haze? Becoming a morning person may seem impossible if you’re naturally a night owl. But with some determination and lifestyle tweaks, you can train yourself to be more alert and energetic during the AM hours
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through how to become a morning person step-by-step, with tips for optimizing your sleep, morning routine, environment and mindset. Soon you’ll be springing out of bed at sunrise, ready to conquer the day!
Step 1: Shift Your Bedtime Earlier
The foundation of becoming a morning person is ironically, tied to your bedtime. To feel refreshed in the morning, you need sufficient high-quality sleep. Most adults need 7-9 hours per night. To fit in a full night’s rest before your target wake-up time start heading to bed 1-2 hours earlier.
Moving bedtime up incrementally by 15 minutes each night can make this transition easier. So if you currently head to bed at midnight but want to get up by 6 a.m., over the course of a week or two work your way back to a 10 p.m. bedtime.
Stick to your new, earlier bedtime seven days a week. Regularity reinforces your body’s natural circadian rhythms. Soon, you’ll find yourself getting drowsy as your new bedtime approaches each night.
Step 2: Follow a Soothing Bedtime Routine
To help wind down your mind and body for sleep, establish a relaxing pre-bed routine. Unplug from digital devices at least one hour before bed and engage in calming activities like:
- Taking a warm bath or shower
- Reading fiction (not stimulating non-fiction)
- Light yoga or stretching
- Journaling your thoughts and feelings
- Playing soothing music
- Sipping uncaffinated herbal tea
- Dimming the lights
Performing this routine consistently primes your body to expect sleep when you complete it each night.
Step 3: Expose Yourself to Morning Light
Sunlight is one of the most powerful external cues for our internal circadian clocks. Early morning light exposure helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle and boosts alertness.
Open your curtains as soon as you wake up to flood your room with natural light. Have breakfast near a window or better yet, step outside for a 5-minute walk if possible. Bright light first thing in the morning tells your brain it’s time to be awake and energized.
Step 4: Set Multiple Alarms Away From Your Bed
Place your alarm clock far enough from your bed that you have to physically get up to switch it off. This prevents you from being tempted to hit snooze over and over while remaining horizontal.
For extra insurance, set a backup alarm elsewhere in your home. Multiple wake-up calls in different locations will get you on your feet bright and early.
Step 5: Get Your Body Moving
If you stay sedentary after waking up, you’ll just make yourself more sleepy. Jumpstart your circulation and energy by doing some quick active stretches orCalisthenics as soon as your alarm goes off.
Go for a short walk around the block if possible. Movement and sunlight first thing in the morning will leave you feeling focused and refreshed.
Step 6: Make Mornings More Enjoyable
A pleasant atmosphere and ritual can make early mornings feel more inviting. Have some favorite breakfast foods and hot coffee ready to motivate you out of bed. Play some upbeat tunes while you cook and get ready.
Read an inspiring passage or list uplifting affirmations to put you in a positive mindset from the start of your day. Making mornings more pleasant gives you something to look forward to when your alarm clock sounds.
Step 7: Prioritize High Quality Sleep
Without adequate sleep quantity and quality, no amount of morning routine optimizing will make you a morning person. Be sure to set yourself up for sound slumber through steps like:
- Sleeping in a completely dark, cool room
- Establishing a regular bedtime/wake time
- Avoiding late-night heavy meals
- Cutting out pre-bed screen time
- Reducing evening caffeine intake
- Doing calming activities before bed
- Investing in a comfortable mattress
Quality nightly rest ensures you’ll have the energy to seize the day as soon as you open your eyes.
Step 8: Commit to Consistency
Becoming a morning person requires diligently sticking to your new sleep and wake up schedules every single day—even weekends and days off. It takes time to reprogram your biological clock through consistency. Be patient with yourself through the adjustment period.
Track your progress by journaling how you feel each morning and averaging your wake-up times. Celebrate little milestones like getting out of bed right away or seeing the sunrise. Stay motivated with the knowledge that in time, early rising will feel effortless.
Additional Tips for Becoming a Morning Person
- Take a power nap. For an added afternoon boost, limit napping to 15-20 minutes.
- Try meditation or prayer after waking to center your morning mindset.
- Eat a banana before bed—it contains sleep-inducing magnesium and potassium.
- Avoid hitting snooze, which interferes with sleep cycles.
- Develop a morning mantra like “I feel energized” to start the day off right.
- Cut back on late-night electronic device use for better sleep quality.
- Gradually adjust your bedtime by just 15 minutes to ease into schedule changes.
Sample Morning Routine Schedule
If you need some inspiration for constructing your own early bird morning routine, here’s a sample schedule:
- 6:00 a.m. – Wake up to alarm across the room
- 6:05 a.m. – Open curtains for natural light while doing morning stretches
- 6:10 a.m. – Meditate/pray for mental focus and positivity
- 6:20 a.m. – Drink water and take supplements
- 6:30 a.m. – Make coffee and breakfast
- 6:45 a.m. – Read an uplifting passage or devotion
- 7:00 a.m. – Exercise for an energy boost
- 7:30 a.m. – Shower and get ready for the day
- 8:00 a.m. – Head out the door feeling bright and motivated
Obviously tweak this to fit your own needs and preferences, but having a specific game plan makes it easier to jumpstart your mornings.
Transform Into a Morning Person
Being a morning person isn’t necessarily something you’re born with. With some concerted effort spent optimizing your sleep, environment, mindset and habits, even the biggest night owl can learn to rise and shine early.
Use these tips and morning routine ideas to gradually train your body and mind to run on a natural circadian schedule. You’ll be amazed how refreshed and productive your mornings feel once you become an early riser. The possibilities that come with seizing each new day await!
Benefits of becoming a morning person
To preface, there is absolutely nothing wrong with honoring your night owl tendencies — there are studies that show the benefits of this, too. However, a new job, life event, or partner might bring a change in your routine, or maybe you simply have a yearning to make more use of your mornings.
If your daily routine requires you to be the most alert between 9 am and 5 pm, being a morning person can play an integral part in your ability to concentrate, have faster reaction times, be more agreeable, and have an overall improved conscientiousness than a night owl.
What’s more, a 2014 study found that morning people who exposed themselves to 20 minutes of sunlight between 8 am and noon had a significantly lower body mass index than those who had light exposure later in the day. “If a person doesn’t get sufficient light at the appropriate time of day, it could de-synchronize your internal body clock, which is known to alter metabolism and lead to weight gain,” according to Phyllis C. Zee, M.D. at Northwestern University. And so, going for a morning walk can help you reach your health goals in more ways than getting your steps in.
Put your mind to bed
Learn how to create the conditions for a restful nights sleep in the first part of this 10-day meditation course.Sleep Course: Part 1
How to Become a Morning Person in 4 Days | 7 Science Backed Steps
How do you become a morning person?
Sleep experts suggest these strategies: 1. Seek out as much natural light as possible The secret to becoming a morning person is exposure to bright light, Martin stresses. That’s because light suppresses melatonin, a hormone that plays an important role in circadian rhythm. “The sun is the driver of our internal clock,” she says.
What are some tips on how to stay active in the morning?
One of the biggest challenges to staying active in the morning is getting out of bed in the first place. It’s natural to want to spend every possible moment under the covers, especially if the weather is bad or you have had a poor night’s rest. But morning exercise can help energize your body, boost your mood, and put you in the right mindset to greet the day. To start, plan ahead. Decide the night before what time you’ll get up and what you’ll do to get your body moving. Try to get a good night’s sleep by sticking to a sensible bedtime routine. Avoid drinking alcohol before bed which can disrupt sleep and make you feel groggy the next day. And choose activities you enjoy whether it’s yoga, Pilates, a walk or jog around the neighborhood, or working out at your favorite gym. There are also plenty of smartphone apps which can help keep you on track with your morning fitness routine.
Is being a morning person a good idea?
Being a morning person may have many benefits, including better mental health, increased productivity, and healthier habits. Perhaps you’ve thought about becoming a morning person. After all, tapping into the energy and productivity that morning people appear to have in the early part of the day can be appealing.
What causes a person to become a morning or night person?
Here’s what science tells us about the biological and environmental causes of becoming a morning or night person. One big alteration in your chronotype typically occurs during the teen years. For teenagers, the onset of puberty marks a big shift toward a later sleep phase preference that lasts at least five years.
