Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original poster

AIBU to ask you for tips on how to get up early??

149 replies

Pariswhenitdrizzles · 19/06/2017 01:07

Hi everyone.

This might sound a bit rubbish (or lazy), but I find it really hard to get up in the morning.

Please could you give me your tips on how to get up early in the morning (around 7ish, for example) but still feel well-rested and have a good night's sleep?

Thanks very much in advance :)

OP posts:

Merakcat · 19/06/2017 06:21

As others have said, just do it. If you are northern hemisphere then this is a good time of year to start the habit, it is much easier when the mornings are lighter.

7am is a bit of a lie in for me, what time do you normally get up? Do you need to get up earlier?

MrsTrentReznor · 19/06/2017 06:24

Leave your curtains and windows open.
The little feathered bastards in the trees will do it for you.

(Seriously though, I get up at 5.15am for work, once you've forced yourself for a while it becomes your new routine)

NewPapaGuinea · 19/06/2017 06:26

Phone other side of the room or on the landing and then once you get out of bed to turn it off straight into the bathroom and turn the light on. This gets me bleary eyed to fully awake within a few minutes.

Establish a routine so you can get everything done without thinking about it. If that means prepping things the night before then so be it. Make it a habit and it becomes so much easier.

Westray · 19/06/2017 06:26

OP what time do you go to bed?

NoWordForFluffy · 19/06/2017 06:29

I'm in the just do it camp too.

I get up at 5am 4 days a week and set my vibrating alarm first, with an audible alarm 5 minutes' later in case the vibrate hasn't woken me (not been needed yet).

I have to get up as soon as I'm woken. If I linger it's so much harder to do. You have to be ruthless.

I try to be asleep no later than 10.30, preferably 10.00, as I do find that any less sleep than that is exhausting.

7am isn't early though. It may be for you, OP, but many people get up far earlier than that!

Flipflopbanana · 19/06/2017 06:33

I have a friend who many years ago would put a £20 note in the oven and set the oven timer for the time he needed to be up. Worked every time!

TheGoodEnoughWife · 19/06/2017 06:35

Sleep with curtains open a bit and naturally wake up with the sun rising. Just get up for a while and before you know it you will be an early riser.

yomellamoHelly · 19/06/2017 06:40

2 alarms. 2nd one set at your absolutely-have-to-get-moving time.

jarhead123 · 19/06/2017 06:46

I get up at 6am.

I used to find it difficult, but years of doing it means I now struggle to lay in. Even without an alarm on weekends I wake up then and I'm not good at dozing back off.

IMO you have to force yourself early on. It does get easier

Clalpolly · 19/06/2017 06:51

At the risk of going Monty Python on you, we have to get up at 5.30.
However, as a general rule, I would say bed by 10.00. Limit caffeine and alcohol after 7.00.
And get yourself under a shower as soon as you can haul yourself out of bed.

Rhubardandcustard · 19/06/2017 06:52

May sound bizarre, try not having an alarm. I haven't used one in years. Your body adjusts to waking at roughly the same time each day. Downside is weekends, but then you can always go back to sleep.

sweetbitter · 19/06/2017 06:52

I have the answer.

Download ap called "Alarmy", pay the £2 or so for paid version.

Find a barcode, any barcode, online and print it out. Stick it on the fridge. Use Alarmy to set an alarm that won't stop until you get up and scan that barcode. You can choose the ringer, volume, number and duration of snoozes you are allowed (or choose none).

This ap has changed my life and turned me into an early riser instead of someone who lies in bed for an hour every morning struggling to get up the willpower to get up.

TroysMammy · 19/06/2017 06:55

Encourage a family of magpies into your garden and leave the bedroom window open. The fuckers will wake you up by 4.45am but will surprisingly be quiet at 7am.

Toriali · 19/06/2017 06:58

Have a good coffee to look forward to.

Jijhebtseksmetezels · 19/06/2017 06:59

Put your alarm on the other side on the room.

I forgot to last night and now I'm lying in bed posting on Mumsnet when I normally get up at 6.30

topcat2014 · 19/06/2017 07:02

Try to train yourself to get up without an alarm - (not much help for 1 days notice!).

We set one, but for the latest possible time as an 'emergency', but tend to wake half an hour before.

We listen to Radio 4 from about 6am. It's heavy news, but actually not a clashing start to the day like local radio can be. They even have birdsongs at 3 minutes to 6!

Fruitcocktail6 · 19/06/2017 07:02

I get up at 6. I go on MN when my alarm goes off and just read stuff for a while.

pinkhorse · 19/06/2017 07:08

7 is late! I don't remember the last time I slept in until 7!

I was up at 5 this morning and out on the bike a few minutes later. Plan something to do early in the morning so you have a specific reason to get up. Try roping in a friend so you know you'd let them down if you didn't get up.

It's easier this time of year as it's light very early.

peachgreen · 19/06/2017 07:11

I swear by a Lumia sunrise alarm clock. Also I think the key is getting to bed early enough. I get up around the same time as you and we're in bed by 10ish, lights off by 11 at the latest but usually 10.30.

Ecureuil · 19/06/2017 07:16

I was going to say 'have a child who hasn't slept later than 5am since she was born 2 years ago' but have well and truly been beaten to it!
I'm in the 'just do it' camp. Get up when your alarm goes off, jump in the shower and start your day. Don't think about how 'early' it is (7am really isn't early, haven't you had to get up at that time for years of school/work etc?). Go to bed at a decent time.

PollyPelargonium52 · 19/06/2017 07:18

Vitamin B3 really helps a good sleep I take 300 mg nightly now.

Whensmyturn · 19/06/2017 07:25

Set up your morning coffee the night before ready then take it back to bed for 15 minutes. Not so bad getting up to get the coffee because you know you're going back to bed. Then the coffee drinking wakes you up

BangkokBlues · 19/06/2017 07:25

No alcohol in the evening.
No sugar or caffeine in the evenings. No caffine after lunchtime works for me.
Don't hang out in your bedroom. Bedroom for sleep only.
No playing on your phone.
Wear special orange glasses to filter out the blue light if you really struggle getting to sleep.

OnceMoreIntoTheBleach · 19/06/2017 07:28

I'm leaving my curtains open at the moment so the light helps me wake up.

Also as your op was in the early hour, agree with going to be earlier and not being on screens at that time of night

Thishatisnotmine · 19/06/2017 07:29

Now is the time to give it a go. I have always been terrible at getting up early, even though I have no problems getting to sleep and sleep well. I sleep through alarms or turn them off in my sleep.
Children created a need to get up early and now with dd2 I actually enjoy it! I like coming down early, pottering about, having a cup of coffee when the house it lovely and quiet. And when in work it means I don't have to rush.

But the best thing at the moment is how light it is. It is really nice seeing so much sunlight. In winter I have an alarm with a gradual wake up light which I really recommend.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6