8 Tips To Wake Up at 5am Every Day: My Personal Journey

I used to dread the alarm at 5am, convinced that only superheroes could thrive before sunrise.

My mornings were a scramble, snoozing my phone until nearly 7am, rushing coffee, and arriving late to every commitment.

But two years ago, I made a promise to myself: I would become an early riser and see if it really changed my life.

After trial and error, I nailed a routine that helps me consistently wake up at 5am feeling alert and ready.

In this guide, I’ll share exactly what I do, the mistakes I learned from, and how you can copy my routine and apply in your own journey.

1. Choosing the right bedtime

The foundation of getting up at 5am is going to bed early enough.

Here’s how I set my schedule:

I worked backward from 5am to find my ideal bedtime. I know I need at least seven and a half hours of sleep, so lights-out by 11:15pm is my goal.

I treat this bedtime as a non-negotiable appointment with myself.

Each evening, around 10:45pm, I start lowering my activity level. I turn off bright screens or switch to “night mode,” dim the overhead lights, and put my phone on silent.

By the time 9:15pm rolls around, my body and mind are already winding down.

If I ever find myself fighting sleep at 9:15 pm, I gently adjust. Maybe I read a paper book for ten minutes or listen to a brief self-improvement video.

The key is to keep the environment and my mindset calm. Over weeks, my body clock synced itself so I naturally feel sleepy at the same time and naturally awake by 5am.

2. Relaxing night routine

Creating a predictable wind-down routine has been a game-changer for my 5am wake up.

Here’s exactly what I do each night:

Digital sunset: I stop all social media and email by 10:45 pm. Screens emit blue light that tricks my brain into thinking it’s still daytime.

Warm drink: I always take a water bottle with me, so I don’t need to go out for drink.

Gratitude journal: I write down three things that went well today. It shifts my focus from stress to positivity.

Gentle stretch: Five minutes of neck rolls, shoulder openers, and hamstring stretches help release tension.

By sticking to this routine, I cue my body that it’s time to rest. Within 15–20 minutes after I finish these steps, I feel sleepy and drift off easily, making that 5am wake up far less painful.

3. Use an alarm your future self can’t ignore

My snooze habit nearly broke my early-riser dreams. I needed a smarter alarm strategy to actually wake up at early.

Here’s what worked for me:

Out of reach: I keep my phone alarm on a dresser across the room. To hit “off,” I have to stand up and walk, which breaks groggy inertia.

Multiple alarms: I set a backup alarm five minutes later on a different device. This ensures I don’t accidentally turn off the only alarm and oversleep.

Different tones: The first alarm is gentle, soft chimes. The second is more urgent so I don’t dare go back to sleep.

Once I force myself out of bed to silence the alarm, the rush of movement wakes me up enough that I rarely slip back under the covers.

4. Optimize your bedroom for deep sleep

Your environment can make or break your ability to wake up at 5am happily.

I transformed my bedroom into a sleep haven:

I always turn off light of my room. With total darkness, my body produces melatonin more effectively, helping me fall and stay asleep.

Also, I invested in a medium-firm mattress and breathable cotton sheets. A comfortable surface makes a big difference in how rested I feel.

When my body is supported and the room is just cool enough, I wake up on time.

5. Start your morning with Hydration

One of the simplest things I do right after snoozing the alarm is reach for a big glass of water.

Overnight, we lose fluids through breathing and sweat, which can leave us feeling groggy.

Here’s why drinking water helps me wake up at 5am on the dot:

Rehydrates the brain: Proper hydration improves mental clarity and alertness.

Boosts metabolism: A glass of water kick-starts digestion and energy production.

Ritual cue: The act of drinking water is a physical signal to my body that the day has begun.

Sometimes, I’ll add a slice of lemon for flavor or steep green tea for gentle caffeine.

But even plain water does the trick: I’m more awake, focused, and less tempted to crawl back into bed.

6. Expose yourself to light and movement

Light and movement are two of the most powerful signals for resetting our internal clock.

Here’s how I combine them to cement my 5am habit:

As soon as I wake up, I go out for a walk for at least two minutes of natural light.

Sunlight tells my brain to stop producing melatonin, the sleep hormone, and start ramping up cortisol, which helps wake me up.

After light exposure, I do a quick three-minute routine:

Neck and shoulder rolls to shake off tension.
Hip circles and arm swings to get blood flowing.
Big deep breaths to oxygenate my body and clear out residual drowsiness.

By the time I finish, my body feels alert, and I’m ready to move on to my first task, no mattress magnetism can lure me back.

8. Give yourself a meaningful reason to get up at 5am

One big mistake I made early on was waking up just to wake up. Without a purpose, I’d linger near the coffee maker, questioning why I bothered.

Over time, I discovered that planning something I genuinely want to do makes a huge difference:

I block out the first hour of my day for my passion project — writing blog posts for Curiosen.

In the quiet pre-dawn hours, I can think deeply without interruptions. Knowing I get uninterrupted creative time is enough motivation for me to roll out of bed.

If you’re not a writer, you could:

Meditate or practice yoga.
Plan your top three goals for the day.
Read one chapter of a book that inspires you.
Work out with a short home exercise routine.

Pick an activity that excites you.

When you look forward to something, getting out of bed at 5am becomes an opportunity, not a chore.

9. Track your progress and adjust as needed

Even with the best plan, you’ll have off-days. I do too.

The secret is to track what works and tweak what doesn’t:

I keep a simple log in my phone’s notes app.

Each morning, I jot down:

What time I went to bed?
How many hours I slept?
Whether I actually woke at 5am?
How I felt (refreshed, groggy, nervous)?

By reviewing this log weekly, I spot patterns. Maybe I slept well but felt groggy, so I check room temperature or cut caffeine earlier.

Or perhaps I fell asleep late, so I adjust my wind-down start time.

Small tweaks, made consistently, lead to solid early-riser habits.

10. Common challenges and how I overcame them

8 Tips To Wake Up at 5am Every Day: My Personal Journey

I couldn’t fall asleep early enough.

At first, I lied awake until 11:30pm. I solved this by moving my wind-down routine earlier, swapping doomscrolling for a book.

I kept oversleeping on weekends.

I treated my weekend bedtime like a weekday. I allowed a 30-minute flexibility but never more. This kept my body clock steady.

I felt tired all day.

I added a 20-minute midday nap on days without evening plans. This small rest prevented burnout without messing up my nighttime sleep.

My alarm simply stressed me out.

I switched from jarring tones to gentle sunrise-simulating alarms that gradually increase light and sound. It feels less like a jolt.

Why waking up at 5am changed my life

After six months of this routine, I noticed big benefits:

More productive hours: That quiet nature from 5am to 7am became my most creative and focused time.
Calm start: Instead of rushing, I sip coffee and ease into the day with a clear mind.
Better mood: Regular sleep and early sunlight exposure boosted my overall mood and reduced stress.
Health perks: I found time to exercise, meditate, and prepare healthy breakfasts, things I never managed when I woke late.

Conclusion

I won’t pretend that waking up at 5am is effortless every single day, but it is achievable.

By choosing the right bedtime, following a calming night routine, using strategic alarms, optimizing your sleep space, hydrating, getting light and movement, planning a meaningful morning task, and tracking your progress, you’ll set yourself up for success.

Give yourself at least three weeks to adjust. Small, consistent changes compound into a powerful habit.

Tonight, set your bedtime, plan tomorrow’s morning activity, and get ready to join the ranks of people who greet the sunrise with energy and purpose.