How to wake yourself up: 10 tips to avoid that snooze button

Ever feel like you need a nap the second your alarm goes off? That grogginess—known as sleep inertia—can make mornings a real challenge, especially on busy work or school days. The good news? With just a few easy changes, you can cut through the groggy feeling and start your day feeling refreshed. Here are 10 practical tips to help you skip the snooze and keep your energy up all day. 

Tip 1: Get adequate amounts of sleep

We know that it sometimes feels out of reach, but the foundation of feeling refreshed in the morning is getting enough sleep. The amount of adequate sleep can vary widely by age and individual preferences, but most adults generally thrive on 7-9 hours of sleep per 24 hours. However, this doesn’t have to come in one uninterrupted block! You might wake at night for a period of time and you also might have short naps throughout the day to ensure you’re not feeling sleepy. While 7-9 hours is the gold standard, anywhere from 6-10 hours is considered within the normal range. Keep in mind that the hours of sleep you get is just one piece of the puzzle—quality and consistency are equally important for your overall wellbeing.

Tip 2: Get plenty of bright natural light throughout the day

Melatonin is a hormone that helps us to sleep well, playing a key role in helping you drift off into a restful slumber. Its production is intricately linked to the light/dark cycle, making it important to understand when to aim for bright light in your eyes and when to aim to be in dim light conditions:

• During the day: Get outside as much as possible to help you feel alert and awake
• At night: Once it’s dark outside, go for dim light conditions (lamps on, overhead lights off, screens on ‘night mode’) as this sends a message to the brain that it’s dark, triggering melatonin production and setting the stage for a better night’s sleep.

Tip 3: Keep consistent sleep, food and exercise routines 

Establishing consistent daily routines—like regular meal times, exercise, and sleep schedules—is a simple hack, yet not always easy to undertake. However, making the effort to maintain regularity can lead to healthier sleep and reduced daytime sleepiness, helping you feel more energised and alert throughout the day. 

Tip 4: Exercise

While exercise at any time of day is beneficial, kicking off the morning with some physical activity can help to increase alertness and set us up for a more energised day. Morning exercise not only helps to regulate circadian rhythm but also lets in that all-important morning light, which helps get rid of any lingering melatonin and boosts your body temperature—leaving you feeling more awake. So, if you can, slip on your walking shoes right after you wake up and head outside for at least 30 minutes of daylight without sunglasses (when the UV is low) to kickstart your day!

Tip 5: Be sparing with the ‘snooze’ button

If you need to get up at 7am for work or school, then setting your alarm for 7am will probably result in more sleep than setting it for 6.30am and having several rounds of ‘snoozing’ with the alarm sounding every 9 minutes! Whereas if you’re a night owl who needs to rise early, it might be beneficial for you to ‘snooze’ as it can help prevent waking out of deep sleep. Consider having the alarm on the other side of the room so you have to get up and get out of bed to turn it off. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and ensuring you’re getting enough sleep. However, waking up and getting out of bed right away is generally more effective to wake more quickly than lingering through multiple snoozes. 

Tip 6: Have a nutritious breakfast

With so many diet approaches described in the media—like fasting, high-protein, and low-fat diets—it’s easy to feel confused about the best option to do. While some people opt to fast until lunchtime, most individuals benefit from a nutritious breakfast when it comes to sustaining energy and boosting mood throughout the day. Take the time to experiment and find what works best for you. Reflect on whether fasting enhances your energy levels or if skipping breakfast leaves you feeling sleepy and sluggish. 

Tip 7: Practise good ‘sleep hygiene’

Sleep hygiene refers to sleep habits and behaviours that may help you to sleep better on a regular basis. Don't let the name fool you though—it's not about cleanliness or showering before bed! The Sleep Foundation has a list of common sleep hygiene tips that may improve sleep quality and quantity, helping you feel less sleepy and more refreshed. The trick with sleep hygiene recommendations is to see them as general advice; they aren’t helpful on their own if you have already developed a sleep disorder. If you have serious sleep concerns, it’s important to reach out to a healthcare professional with expertise in sleep issues for personalised support. 

Tip 8: Reduce daytime stresses and try to manage workload

Carrying stress and leading a busy lifestyle can leave you feeling exhausted. When we experience stress, our bodies release adrenaline, a hormone that can spike your heart rate and quicken your breathing. This reaction, known as the 'fight or flight response,' is helpful in sudden stressful situations, but when it happens frequently, it can drain your energy and leave you feeling worn out. Stress can also keep minds and bodies more tense, which can interfere with sleep. By managing your stress levels, it may help you feel less sleepy and enjoy a more energised day.

Tip 9: Tune into your natural ‘chronotype’

Understanding your natural chronotype—whether you're a night owl or an early bird—can be a game changer for your sleep health. Many people fall into the trap of trying to adjust their sleep patterns to match a partner's schedule or a trendy early-morning fitness routine. But in reality, some people are just not going to prefer the mornings! And that’s perfectly okay. 

To combat morning sleepiness, embrace your night owl tendencies. Avoid setting unrealistic expectations, like joining the "5 a.m. club" if it doesn’t suit you. Instead, give yourself the best chance of good sleep by sticking to sleep and wake patterns that feel right for you (when you do indeed have choice over your sleeping patterns).

Tip 10: Consider seeking a medical opinion

Although self-help strategies are very important in the first instance, there may be underlying medical or psychological reasons for your sleepiness. This includes conditions like hypersomnia (e.g. narcolepsy) and undiagnosed sleep apnea, or changes to your health that may involve low iron or thyroid problems, or perhaps you might have mental health difficulties causing sleepiness. These can be investigated via an appointment with your healthcare professional.

The bottom line

There are many things to try to do to increase your levels of alertness during your waking hours. The main one is to make sleep a priority when you can, and to make it a goal to get enough sleep on a regular basis. Even in stressful, busy and disruptive times, leaning into sleep can be very helpful to help you cope better with whatever challenges you’re facing. Importantly, if there seems to be nothing working and you’ve tried to improve your sleep with the tips above and it’s been several weeks or months, you will need to consult a healthcare professional for an assessment.

Related:

• Why do I always feel so tired and what do I do about it?
• What happens when you don’t sleep?
• How to sleep better

Reviewed by Healthylife Advisory Board December 2024