7 Tips for Morning Alertness Without the Caffeine
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The slower you build up energy in the morning, the more painful waking up will be. What’s better, spending thirty minutes wrestling with the snooze button followed by an hour ramp up to normal mental functioning or quickly starting the day with energy?
In my recent article on morning rituals, I mentioned how I wake up at 5:30 each morning. A few readers asked how I deal with the initial grogginess that comes with waking up so early. As someone who isn’t a natural early-riser (I could easily sleep in until noon) getting over the early-morning sleepiness wasn’t easy. However, by using some of the tips I’ll describe, you can be more alert in your morning hours without having to inject yourself with a pot of coffee.
Why Go Without Caffeine?
I never drink coffee and I only occasionally drink caffeinated teas. While caffeine can be a temporary chemical solution to your drowsiness, I don’t believe it is the best strategy overall. I’ve found caffeine offers more energy, but it comes with side-effects. A few I’ve noticed:
- Post-caffeine crashes.
- Disrupting normal sleep.
- Withdrawal symptoms and addiction.
- Difficulty focusing. (Although some research suggests otherwise)
Whether caffeine is a miracle drug or junk is hard to say. However, given the side-effects, if you can boost morning alertness without the artificial stimulants, why bother drinking the stuff?
How to Build Energy Into Your Mornings
Here are a few things I’ve found helpful to reduce the transition period from being asleep to becoming fully alert. Not only does speeding up this wake-up process save time, it makes waking up less of a struggle. A few tips:
- Light. Your body’s natural clock is tuned to the amount of light. Turn on all the lights in your room right after waking up. Getting bright lights can help trick your body into thinking it is time to get out of bed.
- Exercise. Put something physical right at the start of your morning. In the summer, I did a quick morning run and found it helpful in shaking off any sleepiness. Considering the outside temperature hovers around -30 C, I’ve stuck to doing a few pushups in my room. The exercise gets your heart pumping and snaps you out of a groggy state.
- The 10-Minute Rule. If you want to stick with a consistent wake-up time, practice the ten-minute rule. This means you commit to staying awake for at least the next ten minutes. Once you get over that initial period, the temptation to go back to bed is usually gone.
- Active Work. Start your day with work that actively uses your mind. Creative activities like writing, drawing, programming or designing work better than passive activities like reading. By focusing your mind early you can stay focused and brush off any unwanted drowsiness.
- Don’t Skip Breakfast. Wake up early enough to get something to eat. Skipping meals throw your metabolism out of balance, causing you to gain fat and lose energy. Skipping breakfast also means your blood sugar will be low in the morning and energy levels down.
- Commit to a Sleep Schedule. The obvious solution to combat sleepiness is to get more rest at night. Carrying a sleep debt throughout the week with the hopes of paying it off on the weekend is a bad strategy. Instead, compress your work into the morning hours so you can get the 6-8 hours you need each night.
- Turn Up the Volume. I’ve found listening to music or audio books helpful in keeping myself awake during the morning. Best of all, if you put on an audio book from your favorite speaker, you can get some encouragement to start your day.
sabrina said,
January 31, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Thanks for this. Your timing is great . I just got up about 30 minutes ago and was pretty tired and had a capuccino for caffeine. Needless to say I’m still tired and groggy. My sleep pattern is pretty off though, cause I tend to stay up late and wake up late too.
Jenn said,
January 31, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Also, drinking a glass or two of water in the morning (in addition to whatever else you might drink) will help rehydrate your body, flush out the toxins that have accumulated in your body overnight and generally make you feel better throughout your morning.
Graham said,
January 31, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Great job Scott! Thank you for the useful tips!
Michael Wong said,
January 31, 2008 at 10:27 pm
This works for me. Or it did when I was still in the workforce.
While in bed, get into the Yoga child pose. Your head is still on the pillow, but it’s a harder for you to fall back to sleep while your body is in this position.
Then slowly transition yourself to wakefulness with pleasant thoughts of what to have for breakfast (bagel with swiss and a Coke).
Yummo, as Rachael Ray so eloquently puts it.
Boost Your Morning Alertness Without Caffeine [Sleep] · TechBlogger said,
January 31, 2008 at 10:32 pm
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Andrew Weaver said,
January 31, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Great post! Very informative. I once had an addiction to caffeine, so I understand completely how it can cause all sorts of unwanted side effects. The day I realized I needed to start paying attention to my caffeine intake I had gone without a soda, tea, or anything with caffeine until late afternoon. I got a horrible headache, turned pale, and by the end of the night I was throwing up. It was sickening that I had allowed myself to become so dependent on caffeine.
That was 2 and a half years ago. I haven’t had a soda since, don’t drink coffee, and only drink the occasional tea. Everyone should take heed to your advice. Thanks!
Timothy Andrew said,
January 31, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Nicely put.
Houston said,
February 1, 2008 at 2:10 am
Thanks, good post very helpful
One Question: What do you do when you were partying the
day before? Sleep 8 hours or wake up early?
_rem said,
February 1, 2008 at 2:53 am
useful tricks.
I believe #6 prevails. Sleep debt being the main cause. Knowing your sleep needs and metabolism and apply the right strategy.
Steadiness is a key factor in a healthy sleep schedule. Being regular can teach your body to the point that you will wake up minutes before the alarm rings.
As to coffee, if the taste (quality) was good you’d have no problem with it.
Living in France, I’m quite happy with it!
Martin Wildam said,
February 1, 2008 at 4:34 am
For me also works: Drink a lot of water. It keeps the blood fluid.
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kbrede said,
February 1, 2008 at 5:31 am
I got one of those Biobrite sunrise alarm clocks which makes waking up a lot easier. Most of the time I wake up to the light but I do have a more conventional alarm clock set in case I don’t
Ann Ames said,
February 1, 2008 at 5:58 am
After being a night person all my life, I’ve also recently started getting up at 5:30 to make a little time for myself in a life with a two-year-old, a job, and a husband who travels a lot. My trick is to have two alarm clocks: a cheap, battery-operated analog clock right next to my head, and a CD alarm clock in the sitting room off of our master bedroom. Putting the second alarm far away is key: once I’ve gotten out of bed and walked the fifteen feet to the alarm, it doesn’t seem to make much sense to go back to bed.
I picked nice music (Beethoven cello and piano sonatas) so it doesn’t annoy my husband too much, though I find that I feel guilty enough at subjecting him to my early-morning wake-ups that I jump right out of bed to shut off the music so he can go back to sleep. The alarm by my head is really just a failover technique - I used to occasionally sleep through the music, though I haven’t done that since cranking the volume a bit.
I’ve also cut out almost all caffeine, though I used to drink 6-8 cups of very strong black tea (with as much caffeine as your average home-brewed coffee) every day. I read somewhere that people addicted to caffeine have a harder time waking up in the morning because their bodies need the extra kick to get going. I certainly haven’t done a scientific study on myself, but I do feel like I am less resistant to getting out of bed now that I’m off the stuff. I’m down to two cups of decaf tea a day, one first thing in the morning, just because I like the taste of black tea and it makes me feel like I’m not depriving myself.
I highly recommend getting up early. I feel so much better all day long if I’ve gotten something done before anyone else in the house is even out of bed!
Scott Young said,
February 1, 2008 at 5:58 am
Thanks for the comments.
As for my approach, when I have a late night, I usually make sure I get enough sleep. This usually coincides with my pre-planned one day off each week, so it doesn’t interrupt my schedule. When doing a 30 Day Trial, stick to the time for the entire month, however.
-Scott
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Bill said,
February 1, 2008 at 7:39 am
If you want to look at the other end of sleep cycle, the start, Tim Ferris has an article on getting better sleep over at his 4 hour work week blog.
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/01/27/relax-like-a-pro-5-steps-to-hacking-your-sleep/
I find that once I decide what time I have to get up I just naturally get up at that time….but I am not sure how or why it works
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Diggerdog said,
February 1, 2008 at 8:47 am
One of the big reasons for feeling tired and dragged out is insufficient water consumption (dehydration). The body triggers you to feel hungry or in desperate need of a caffeine fix when, in fact, the need is for water. Water is the fastest liquid to thin blood. If you don’t drink enough water your blood thickens causing your heart to work harder and tire early. No other liquid can act as quickly and have the same benefits as water. Of course few of us drink water or anything else while sleeping. Upon awakening, your body is crying out for water. Typically, before learning this, I would wake up over orange juice and coffee. So I would start the day dehydrated then drink coffee, which is a diuretic, eat oatmeal, a carbohydrate (which stimulates Serotonin) which has a sleep inducing effect, and hope to be fully alert when I started work. Now I start the day with a pint of water, less oatmeal and eat a couple of egg whites which are easier to digest protein. I throw the yolk away (no yolk!) as the entire fat content in eggs is found in the yolk. I use a beer mug continuously throughout the day to measure the amount of water I consume. This raised a few eyebrows of neighbours until I explained the beer mug content was in fact water. Drinking water at room temperature is preferable. Dehydration can result in weight gain. Our mind interprets the craving for water to be a food craving. Drink more water and lose weight.
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allen said,
February 1, 2008 at 4:06 pm
This does not resolve the issue, however.
It seems like this is a good way to help people who don’t have a problem waking up STAY awake in the morning; none of these would work on me, as i am not even awake enough when i hit the snooze button to think of any of them. Doesn’t matter where i hide the alarm-clock, either, as I basically sleep walk to it.
Only way that works is going to a sleep specialist to deal with my Delyaed Sleep-Phase Disorder. Woo!
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Spuds said,
February 1, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Great article scott. I am addicted to caffeine and I need to detox from it.
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slugabed said,
February 2, 2008 at 7:37 am
Funny, I only started to wake up on time when I planned half an hour’s snooze time into my routine.
Scott Young said,
February 2, 2008 at 11:26 am
Great suggestion on the water. I drink a half-liter right after waking up, but I’ll do more research into seeing whether adding a permanent water-habit would be worthwhile.
-Scott
jd said,
February 2, 2008 at 1:31 pm
For speed-waking, on weekdays I make sure I hop out of bed and don’t fall into “think-mode” — like Nike, I just Do It.
On weekends, I wake up whenever, however.
Alex said,
February 2, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Scott,
Here’s an extremely effective trick I use (related to your first point about light): I picked up a cheap outlet timer and set it to turn on an energy-saving “natural white” light bulb 15-30 minutes before my alarm clock goes off. This naturally wakes my body up and makes it much easier to jump out of bed.
Works like a charm.
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Snigel said,
February 3, 2008 at 2:58 am
I stick to a regular wake-up time everyday, regardless of when I go to sleep. Except for the things you have already mentioned, I have one which is crucial: temperature. There are many ways this affects the sleepyhead.
Firstly, sleeping in a cool room is probably good (I do not have a reference for this, though), but waking up in a cold room is not good. The temptation to stay in the warm bed is simply too great. A cold floor is perhaps even worse (use slippers!).
Secondly, once out of bed, cold is your friend. Use it. Wash your hands (I do not know why, but this feels really good), take a shower or a brisk morning walk. The good, old splashing water in the face works as well.
Scott Young said,
February 3, 2008 at 6:38 am
Snigel,
Completely agree on the temperature issue. I find it’s important to get dressed as early as possible to avoid the temptation to slink back into a warm bed.
Alex,
I wondered whether natural-light light bulbs might work better, but I hadn’t had a chance to try. Thanks for your thoughts.
Fredrik said,
February 3, 2008 at 10:40 am
Interesting.
This product is probably of interest to many of you. I have not tried it but read a lot of promising reviews:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-HF3461-Wake-Up-Light-Alarm/dp/B000VI7K2C
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Julie, writer surefirewealth.com said,
February 4, 2008 at 6:46 am
I’ve heard that drinking a lot of water regularly can also boost up your energy level. You don’t even have to drink caffeine that much anymore. It’s a refreshing tip and nothing can go wrong with trying it. One way to help me become awake is by taking a cold shower. Or at least, dowsing myself with cold water. However, I first have to wake up long enough for me to get to the bathroom!
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MG said,
February 4, 2008 at 7:52 pm
This short and sweet list of recommendations is actually spot on, according to the latest scientific research on sleep and circadian rhythms.
Light in the morning is extremely important. For an extremely reputable, yet easy-to-understand introduction, read Dr. Dan Kripke’s www.brightenyourlife.info. And while you’re at it, read his www.darksideofsleepingpills.com. Don’t let the sites fool you — he is a pioneer and leader in the field of sleep and circadian rhythms research.
For those who have trouble sleeping read Gregg Jacobs’ “Say Goodnight To Insomnia.” It is a great book for those looking to get to sleep a little faster and more reliably.
And while you’re at it, check out “The Promise of Sleep” by Bill Dement for an overview of sleep research from the guy who is by far the most important sleep researcher in the world.
There is quite a bit of research out there on sleep and circadian rhythms, and there are some great resources. Unfortunately, there are also some crappy ones too. A lot of what we are learning about sleep only confirms what’s been suspected for ages. And then again some of it disproves “common knowledge.”
For quality information, a few good places are usually www.sleepresearchsociety.org, www.aasmnet.org, www.sltbr.org and sometimes www.sleepfoundation.org (although most of their funding comes from drug companies). If you have real problems sleeping, you can find experts to talk to to get real advice that has been proven to work.
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werkan said,
February 7, 2008 at 11:49 am
Thanks for this, I feel the same way. The thing that I think works the best is to get a steady sleeping schedule, I usually go to bed at 21:00, and sleep to 05:00, then I have 2 solid hours of browsing the Internet or maybe do some schoolwork. Anyway, thats the best way. Although(me being a night person, I’m not to found of this method since I think you miss out on so much things at the night, like TV, the computer e.t.c)
carla said,
February 8, 2008 at 3:52 am
Linked to you in todays entry—still not sure I can do it
but I promise to give it a shot.
MizFit
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Alan said,
February 13, 2008 at 7:02 am
What works for me? Two words: The Ramones.
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February 15, 2008 at 3:33 am
[…] and need an healthy way of waking yourself up that doesn’t involve caffeine, Scott Young has seven suggestions to help you. One tip I would add is to drink some water as soon as you wake up because you will be […]
Jeremy said,
February 15, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Caffeine should be avoided as much as possible. It will be a boon to your health and life. Keep that in mind.
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March 13, 2008 at 7:49 am
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