How to Wake Up Early 

I've never had an easier time getting up than when I was re-reading Harry Potter and told myself I could read a chapter every morning with my coffee. (Also, that drinking water tip is magic, at least for me.)

You could just do what I did: go to another country for a year, and when you return jet lagged and can't help but wake up at the butt crack of dawn, just keep it going! I've been waking up at 4:30 nearly every day for about the past three years! On a serious note, though, what I love most about my mornings is that if I wake up early, I have time to actually relax and enjoy myself before setting off to do other things. It makes my day just start off on the right foot. :) DFTBA, adulters!!

Regarding the whole blue light thing, there's a program I use called f.lux. You can configure it for different lighting profiles which includes how much blue light is outputted by your monitor. You can also configure the intervals when it is active as well as the profile's intensity at those times, so you can set it up to go with your local timezone or set custom times to be active such as just before bed!

I have delayed sleep phase disorder (it’s a thing, apparently) and I have actually found sleep hygiene REALLY helpful. The most important thing, I’ve found, is waking up at the exact same time every day, no matter what. I’ve also found that I can get away with one late night on the weekends. Also, a common myth is that sleep is like a bank, where you can take some away and then make up for it later (i.e. on the weekends.) Not true. Studies have consistently showed that

The difficulty for me isn't getting up when I want to, it's going to bed early enough.

Babies make excellent alarm clocks. I have two of them.

So watching this video just before I go to bed was a terrible idea? :D

A wake-up light. I got myself one and waking up has been so much easier. It simulates a sunrise and starts gradually lighting up the room 30 minutes before your alarm. It's especially useful since I live in northern Europe and during winter the sun is up only couple of hours a day and it's just so hard to get up when it's dark literally everywhere.

I'm a big sucker for the 'five more minutes', until I look at the clock and notice an hour has passed. Which sets me off on a low mood cycle and makes me want to get out of bed even less...ugh depression why

Your bed is for sleep! The brain is very context-based, so doing a lot of different things in your bed can prime your brain towards alertness, like getting into a really intense Netflix series. Try to only ever lie down on your bed when its time to go sleep. Also regarding the "thing you wake up to in the morning", make your bed! This will more likely than not keep you out of your bed and help you resist the urge to get another 10 minutes in.

I have an alarm that goes off every evening at the same time (to remind me that it is time to get ready for bed). I also wake up on the weekends close to my weekday mornings (my alarm goes off 10 min later). That helped me a lot.

Damn, I'm watching this on a bright screen at 2 am lol

Watching this before 6am! What helped me was switching the hours of my job to be earlier (7 to 4 instead of 8 to 5) to compensate for my wife having a job with similar hours because she's a school teacher. She would get tired pretty early in the evening, so if I went to bed around the same time (sometimes even before 9pm), it was very easy to wake up at 5:30. My morning routine starts off with a shower less than 5 minutes after I wake up, which is a great jumpstart to the day.

It helped me immensely when I stopped "suggesting" myself getting off the computer late at night, and started *forcing it.* Task Scheduler can literally force your PC off at the same time every day with a command. This forces me to snap out of "I just need to finish this thing" mode that gets cyclical. I try to get back on the computer? Set another task schedule for 15 minutes later, computer shuts off again. It took like 15 tasks because I am incredibly stubborn, but I have yet to go to bed more than 15-30 minutes late as a result.

I moved my bedroom to the east side of my house and leave the blinds open. This prevents me from over sleeping and over time I gradully woke up earlier and earlier.

One thing that I use is to set multiple alarms about 5-10 minutes apart, each one harsher then the last. The trick is to set the last alarm at the time you actually want to get up: that helps to gradually wake you up and combat the urge for 5 more minutes while still letting you get up at the time you want.

I just discovered this channel. I wish they were still making videos!

one of these days i will learn how to adult properly

If you need to be on your computer late for work or school, like I do for my computer science degree, install f.lux on your computer. It's free, lightweight, and gradually changes your screen color as the day moves on to mimic the sunset. It helps a LOT with going to bed at a decent time.

I like to set two alarms, 5-15 mins apart. After the first alarm, I'll listen to music, at a low volume, to gently stimulate my mind. At the second alarm, I'll take three deep breaths and use the impulse from the third breath to sit up and stand up. Note, use an alarm that is gentle and not blaring, but enough to contrast with any background noise to may have. I also recommend using a setting, if your device has one, that slowly increases the volume of the alarm as it goes off.

*As a deep sleeper who used to find it hard to wake up, here are some tips I've learned as I've grown:* 1. Having multiple alarms and a variety of alarm types is key. The more senses that are activated using light, sound, and touch: the better. (Your routine can also include smells and tastes such as coffee, and things such as a warm or cold shower). 2. A sunrise alarm is cool to have as it lightens the room (check out the ones by Phillips). 3. Plugging your phone into a speaker system or having a stereo that has a radio alarm right near your bed can help wake you up with the extra volume + bass. 4. Use the vibrator on your phone or go a step above that with the type of vibrating alarm that is designed for deaf people, strap it to your wrist or ankle or pop it under your pillow. 5. I have a radio turn on first in the background so that when my more persistent alarms (like beeping/ vibrating) turn on, I am kept awake by following the conversation on the radio. (They also tend to mention the time a lot on morning radio, which can be good for getting your subconscious to realise it's time to wake up). 6. Place your phone or an alarm clock in a position where you have to stand up to silence it. 7. Change the sound on your phone alarm daily so that you don't get used to it. 8. Make sure that you offset your phone alarms by minutes if you have multiple so that the snooze/sleep patterns don't cancel each other out (ex. set alarms for 6:55, 7:03, 7:16 with a snooze of 5 minutes) 9. Make sure you have at least one alarm clock that has batteries in it so that it still works even if the power goes out. 10. Have something that you want to do in the morning if you wake up with enough time. I motivate myself by waking up with enough time to watch late night show monologues in the morning while I eat breakfast.

I have been working in different jobs with different hours. From early morning shifts to night shifts. Currently working as a baker which means I wake up at sharp midnight.What I always did and worked for me is this : I try to sleep 7-8 hours no matter what, at the moment for example I try to fall asleep between 4-5pm so I do not get more than 8h or less than 7h of sleep. To achieve this I lay down about an hour earlier reading a book. Usually I will be able to read for a whole hour and feel my eyes closing so when I hit the lights it takes me about 5-10 mins to fall asleep. Also, I never eat 3-4 hours before I have to sleep. What I've noticed during those years is that when I do sleep earlier than 11pm I do not need a full 7h sleep, let alone 8h. So that 11pm to 3am is indeed as they say the "best sleep" time there is. Finally it helps a lot to get physically tired to be able to sleep. Being a baker is a demanding job physically so I have no problems. When I was working in something less tiring, I would go jogging or at the gym for an hour or two just to burn some energy and be able to rest.

I am 37 and still have trouble with this.

Set a HORRIBLE alarm sound on your phone and set it as far away from as possible so you have to run up and trun it off. As this sound gets assiciated with the adrenaline burst of getting woken up every day by a flight bombing alarm you’ll get a jolt of stress as soon as you hear the sound which will prevent you from falling asleep again.

One thing that helped me was a balanced diet and supplements where it still lacked. I have an uncle that takes about 26 different supplements and I think that's extreme. I only take Magnesium, B1, B12, Potassium, and Fish oil. Within two days I began waking up at 6:15 ish without an alarm and with only 6.5 hours of sleep. I've been doing this for about 2 or 3 months and Its changed my life. Not only that but I don't feel groggy at all and I don't feel sluggish when I go to bed. When I go to bed I feel like I could go another hour or more. The fish oil, btw, doesn't help with energy, its for inflammation. I get it in my back, eyes, and ears a lot, and the fish oil helps with that. But one unexpected side effect that makes sense now is that I stopped getting sunburns. I'd been taking fish oil daily for about 10 months startling Feb of 2019 and all summer I never got one sunburn and never used sunscreen. On one sunny day I went to the pool for 4 hours and no sunburn.

Best advice I have, always go to bed and wake up at the same time. Don't stay up late on whatever your weekend is. I am always in bed by 9 and up at 5am. Social life? It's called being a responsible adult. I am more likely to do things first thing in the morning then at 10am-2pm when some of my roommates were getting up. Plus, shopping is super fast when you walk in right as stores open.

I would have to say of all the advise in this very good installment, the most important for me is the "compelling why." If I have a reason to get up, I get up. If not, hello snooze.

I can't stop laughing at Rachel's reaction to Hank's line 'it's one of my favourite pillow voices'...

Can you read minds? This is exactly what I need right now.

I've also found it helps to diffuse some kind of citrus essential oil in the morning--it wakes you up and promotes alertness. I use a blend of simply earth's grapefruit and coffee essential oils! Smells soooo good too.

Listening to audio books that I have already read is helpful for me to get to sleep. If I suddenly jump ahead a chapter or two, I know I have already dropped off to sleep and can continue to stay asleep.

Here's one that depends on your personality some. I always hated the idea of having my alarm require me to get up because I'm a little paranoid of waking other people up earlier than they would want. What worked for me is having two alarms. One that I could dismiss immediately and one that goes off a couple minutes later that I need to get up for. For me the second one uses an NFC sticker that I keep on the other side of the room. So now that paranoia is my reason to get moving instead of a barrier. Just be careful of alarms that use NFC to dismiss, they can be a real pain if you forget to adjust them before going on vacation or hitting the office early.

My husband and I swear by our Lumie Lamps - they have automatically dimmable bulbs. 15 mins before the alarm goes off, they slowly start getting brighter, mimicking sunrise. Absolute essential for us, especially in winter months!

I love my Sleep Time app! Yeah, it's kinda ridiculous, but sometimes all I need is that alarm going off when I'm rolling over to let me know that I ~shouldn't~ go back to sleep. Plus, if nothing else, the wake-up sounds on Sleep Time are so much better than any of the default iPhone sounds.

The most helpful thing to get me out of bed and stay up is stretching! I do a yoga video that starts sitting in bed and ends out of bed, and the stretching feels really good after laying in bed all night. I watch a video with a faster flow so it creates some heat and energy in my body. It only takes about 5 minutes and its worked every time for me!

I have an extreme alarm clock app on my phone. It forces me to do a puzzle (mine is set to a memory game) before I can turn it off. Then a little while later it'll do a check to see if I'm still awake. If I don't shut that off, it goes off again. It's been a lifesaver!! (It's called "I can't wake up! Free" from the play store. Don't set more than 4 alarms though, it only allows 4 in the free version and doesn't warn you about it. It just won't go off if there's more than 4.)

I absolutely love this channel

3:35 the moment Hank considers beginning a new glasses empire...

I found a really awesome alarm clock app called Alarmy. It has a few different methods of turning off the alarm. Some are taking a photo of your sink or toilet, or shaking the phone. My favourite is doing some math problems because it stimulates my brain enough into being awake. Coming from someone who was a night owl who has to wake up at 5.30 am for work

The only thing that has FINALLY combated the snooze button for me is getting a dog. If I don't get up and take him out relatively quickly he will pee inside so that's my best why haha

The blue light one is a problem for a lot of people, I use my phone to play music or videos to help me fall asleep. I’m a paranoid person, with anxiety and a vidid imagination so you can imagine what sort of this in the dark terrify me. I also have to keep a light on otherwise I have the constant feel something is watching me. I can’t even sleep with my back to the door or closet or any of my limbs uncover. As I said, I am paranoid.

Even special alarm clocks that makes you solve math didn't help me, but I found a way that suits me: I downloaded podcasts and meditation audio and prepared the phone: charged, earphones plugged. And I set my alarm clock 20 min earlier my get-out-of-bed-time and listen to people talk. I have to focus on the speech so I wake up, and I don't have to get out of bed or open my eyes for 15-20 minutes.

Finding an exercise class I enjoy early in the morning is definitely more motivating for me than telling myself to just get up and 'work out.' (also setting out my exercise clothes the night before is helpful!)

I use caffeine pills. I also use the Alarmy app and stick QR stickers in the home as a kind of fox hunt. I'd like to recommend also to prepare meals beforehand. Make tortilla pinwheels. You can dose the amount easier than sandwiches and add spinach or endives to get much needed nutrients. My current recipes for pinwheels are; chicken, cheese & mustard pinwheels, roastbeef, cheese & mustard pinwheels, salmon & creamcheese pinwheels, chicken, jalapenos, garlic-yoghurt sauce, ketchup & goat's cheese pinwheels, sandwich spread spiked with curry, garlic, ginger and cinnamon powder with chicken and cheese. I have these useful meal storage solution from the brand "Sunware". These are seperated into compartments, similar to Japanese lunch boxes. You can fit a tortilla worth of pinwheels in a single compartment, which is good for one meal. One tortilla is equivalent to about three slices of bread and you get the same level of satisfaction you'd get from eating a box of sushi rolls, because of how bite sized these treats are.

You can also use time changes to your advantage!

Ugggghhhh. Favorite lol "As you sit on it...uhuh. Don't sit on it."XD Perfect timing with this advice. (About waking up, not...nvm.) Also, apparently I'm late to the party but; CONGRATS, HANK! You officially helped continue life as we know it.

How do you wake up when you're a heavy sleeper ? Hahaha I've slept through my alarm for over an hour going off full volume ... Multiple alarms set around my room and it still didn't wake me up . It woke my sister up who was asleep downstairs ... Why am I like this ?! 😂 Oh and I can hear the alarm in my dream ... I just get annoyed by it, but I don't know I'm in the dream at the time so don't wake up 🙈 help meeeee

i have distorted Soviet anthem on my alarm. wakes me up immediately.

Early to rise And early to bed, Makes a man helthy But socially dead!

Maybe consider using F.lux would be a welcome alternative to glasses if you prefer. ;)

For Laptops and such I can also recommend fl.ux. Reduces the blue light accordingto when you want to wake up. Might make your screen look a bit weird the later the hour, but it really helps.

Having a baby who now has to be driven to his magnet middle school has helped me to get up in the morning. However, I currently work from home so I can nap when I get tired.

When i was in college i had to put it under my dormroom desk with the chair pushed in so i had to get up. move the chair, bend down and respond to the alarm. This way, there was enough movement and time for me to become aware that i was responding to the alarm clock. I found that if i left it on the top of my desk, i would be aware enough that i knew i was hitting the alarm, but not enough to not go back to bed. bodies are weird.

Had a roommate in college with the sonic alarm clock, woke me not him!! Other suggestions are really good and work for me!

It's helped me to use an alarm clock that doesn't have a snooze feature. Then when I turn the alarm off, I know I *have* to get up then or I'll be screwed.

My issue is afternoon naps. I work from home with research, so it's terribly easy to fall into the "I can't work when I'm sleepy" mindset, and then it's two hours later and there's drool all over the pillows.

There is a software called flux, which alters blue lights into a warmer tone. It's such a great tool!!

There's a great app for PC and iOS called f.lux that will automatically shift your screen's light away from blue and more into the red side of the spectrum based on the time of day and the sunrise/sunset time in your area. Less screen time close to bedtime is helpful, but if you can't avoid it, that's the next best thing.

Great tips.

I've never really understood the need to try and get up early. My alarm goes off when I set it and I get up. I don't snooze or anything because I don't have time to do it. I have to get up because I have to get up, there is no other option

There is a free screen tinting software that yellows your screen automatically with the nighttime hours called fl.ux.

Sunrise alarm clocks have drastically helped me get up earlier in the morning. Especially in the winter. I noticed that during the summer I could fairly easily naturally wake up at 7:30, but during the winter getting up by 9 would be difficult. Sunrise simulator alarm clocks have helped me tremendously.

Love all your vids!

I'm watching a video about how to wake up early at 4 a.m. lol but anyways this is a great channel, got some really useful tips here thanks

Could you guys do a video on what to do when you get pulled over by the police when driving/ what to do when emergency vehicles go by? Also, what to do if you get in a car accident? It might be a bit American though. I love this channel!

I think what helps me a lot is getting as much of my morning routine done the night before. I pick out an outfit, pack my lunch, and have my coffee machine programmed to go when I wake up. Also having a hungry furry friend or two doesn't hurt either.

Watching this video before trying to fall asleep at 5:30 am is probs not the best idea then since it involves multiple things they warned against

My alarm is a normal one, but my cat hate the sounds of it. So when the alarm goes off she jump on me till I turn it off. Never fails to wake me up real quick lmao

Would recommend getting an analog alarm clock which beeps, and has just one button to switch it off rather than a snooze button

So that's what the blue shade function on my Kindle is! (Now if only it didn't turn my whole screen orange.)

I just realized, she's not on the poster in the background anymore because she's left the poster and is physically in the room. Nice touch

Nice video!!!

I can't stand alarms. If i need one, i set my phone on the vibration mode next to my pillow. Sometimes i uses very light music. I wish i could wake to the smell of coffee everyday.

Could you make a video about dealing with your daily schedule changing day-to-day? I hate that at my new school I finish and start classes at a different time every day (it varies from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.!) which makes it near impossible to come up with anything resembling a routine, not to mention how my biological clock is all over the place and I feel like I'm never fully rested.

Can you do a video on Employee benefits?

I basically CAN'T drink water in the morning. For some reason the morning breath makes the water taste awful to me. I always drink juice in the morning tough. :)

ahaha! watching this at midnight. after over a month of getting up early. this ironically won't help with that habit! DUH!

Much like most of the bloggers, or the people who work primarily on their computers, I was a night owl too. I used to work all night long, then sleep around 6 or 8 in the morning. Although this was beneficial as in I was able to skip most of the noisy time, but it had its downsides. Now, if you know me a tiny bit, I am a research guy(all marketers are). I found that majority of the successful people are an early morning person. I read schedules of people who completed half of their daily tasks before 10! rachitsingh.net/how-to-wake-up-early/

What happened to the hanging girl in the "Hang in there" poster?

get a couple of cats that will stand outside your bedroom's door and yell very loudly at you for food every morning

As I’m watching this at 1 in the morning

where's the person on the 'hang in there' poster?! It's black with a bit of the tree!

Ever since I was 5 years old, it's been more than just difficult for me to get to sleep before 3am, regardless of the techniques I use. What I used to do in school was get 4 hours of sleep every week night, and then sleep 12 hours on both Saturday and Sunday. But as an adult, I don't really have that luxury lol.

I can instinctually wake up @ 4:30 for some reason (I got so used to my schedule)

How about staying asleep? Insomnia sucks

Youguys should get yourselves a teleprompter XD

The clocks remind me of Charlie

Do OLED screens have the same blue light issue too?

How to make sure you get in all the nutrition you need would be a good episode?

Watching this while waking up at 4pm

If you have ADHD, stimulants like caffeine may actually help you relax and sleep. Worth a shot if you struggle with sleep and think you may have it, because ADHD makes your brain respond totally differently to stimulants. I never sleep better than after some tea and my meds.

i just watch that much youtube till i get so sleepy that i can sleep good. easy.

Just don't forget to sit on it guys

...or get a puppy. Worked for me 😂

What about keeping time in sync for NON24 sufferers without drugs?

I'm watching this video right now instead of sleeping like i should be.. Goddamn irony.

5am still haven't slept please send help

Is that a minecraft torch right there???

I love mornings but I also love spending them in bed LIKE IM DOING RIFHT NOW GDI

everyone should try "sleep cycle" it's an alarm app that wakes you up comfortably in the span of 30 mins