How to be a morning person | 10 tips to wake up earlier and get more done

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If you want to know how to be more productive, one of the best tips is waking up earlier. Do you want to be a morning person, but it just doesn’t come naturally? Back when I was 19 or 20, I thought to have to go to work at 8:00 AM was terrible. Once my oldest was born, waking up early was still a struggle, even though I was doing it more consistently. Having kids changes everything, and in most cases that includes the time you wake up and go to bed! My oldest always woke up early, and it was a huge adjustment for me. 
Fast forward to now. I very rarely sleep past six, and staying up late doesn’t sound fun at all. I became a morning person out of necessity, but over the past few years of consistently waking up early, I have realized that I am far more productive with me time. I firmly believe that waking up early leads to a productive day. Here are the lessons that I have learned about how to be a morning person.

How to be a morning person

1. Drink some coffee

Or some green tea, or water with lemon. Whatever gets you going in the morning. For me, it’s definitely coffee, although I am trying to cut back on my caffeine intake. It isn’t just the caffeine (although caffeine certainly helps) but also the routine of doing the same thing, first thing every morning.

2. Start a morning routine

Start a morning routine that works for you. My routine starts with coffee, but there are a few other things that I do. I always make my bed. It makes my room look better and it’s a great habit to get into. I pick up anything out of place in our room, take laundry to the laundry room, and pick up the kitchen if anything is out of place. I usually do those things while I am making coffee. After the coffee is ready, I start working on my daily to-do list. Fill out the form below to get a free copy of the day tracker that I use every single day.

3. Move your phone or alarm away from your bed

Moving your alarm away from your bed will force you to actually get up to turn it off. Hopefully, the act of actually getting out of bed will motivate you to keep moving! I rarely set an alarm anymore, but when I do it is on my desk on the other side of the room.
It also helps to do something active first thing in the morning. I don’t mean that you have to go for a run, but doing something like moving laundry from the washer to dryer or another active task around the house is a great way to get moving in the morning.

4. Turn on lights or open the curtains

Our bodies are wired to be awake during the day and asleep at night. Turn on some lights when you wake up, and open curtains if the sun is already up.

5. Set yourself up for success the night before

A successful morning begins the night before. If you know that having your coffee ready on the counter or clothes laid out will help motivate you, do those things! Figuring out how to become a morning person is all about realizing what works for you.
I started doing this to help my husband and kids too. My husband wakes up very early, and I put his clothes in the bathroom to help him in the morning. It also helps me, because he isn’t making noise looking for things in the morning. I’ve been setting out clothes for my kids too, and they know to put them on first thing when they wake up. These tiny habits can help a morning go so much more smoothly!

6. Watch how food and drink affect your sleep

Caffeine within a few hours can negatively affect how well you sleep at night. I generally try to avoid caffeine any time after the early afternoon. Alcohol can also have some pretty bad effects on your sleep. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but sleep quality will go down and you will probably find yourself waking up a few hours later.

7. Limit screen time in the evening.

If you’re having trouble falling asleep at night, try limiting your screen time before bed. This is a tough one for me, and to be honest I don’t follow this very well. My mind goes 1000 different places at the same time whether I limit screen time or not, but turning off the TV and putting your phone away at least 15-30 minutes prior to going to bed is very helpful for most people.

8. Wake up 15 minutes earlier every day

If the idea of waking up very early seems daunting, start setting your alarm for 15 minutes earlier every day. Again, it’s the tiny habits that create big results over time.

9. Wake up at the same time every day of the week

This can be a tough one, but try to wake up at the same time each day of the week. Sleeping in on weekends can completely derail your progress if you aren’t careful. I don’t use an alarm on most days, but I still try to wake up around the same time every day of the week.

10. Don’t go to bed late.

This should go without saying, but sleep is important. If you want to become a morning person, you’re going to have to go to bed earlier at night. Getting enough sleep is really important, in fact, it’s one of my top self-care tips for busy moms. Waking up at 5 AM isn’t a good idea if you don’t go to bed until 2 AM. If you start waking up 15 minutes earlier every day, your body will start adjusting and you should find yourself getting tired earlier.
It isn’t always easy, but I believe that becoming a morning person has made my days far more productive. I hope that these tips on how to be a morning person will help you if you’re trying to wake up early for a more productive day. Do you have any tips on how to be a morning person? Are you struggling with waking up earlier? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.