Becoming a morning person

I’ve been on this slow but steady mission to build better habits and slowly upgrade my life — one small change at a time.

So where does a “better life” even begin?

Honestly, I didn’t have to think too hard. Just waking up early and going to bed early? That alone feels like a huge step toward living a better, more intentional life. (Shoutout to all the 9-to-5 people who do this every day without even trying — I see you, respect.)

As a college student, I’ve basically been living in a loop of late nights and even later mornings. So I figured — if I’m struggling, maybe other people are too. And that’s why I wanted to share a few things that have helped me (and some brain science I nerd out about occasionally) to wake up earlier and actually feel good doing it.

Let’s go ✨

1. Go to Bed Earlier (Yes, Really 🙃)

Shocking, I know. But seriously — good mornings start the night before. If you want to change tomorrow, you kind of have to start with how you end today. Makes sense, right?

1.1) Cut Blue Light Before Bed

Everyone talks about this, and for good reason. Blue light = bad sleep.
And yet, there I am… getting one last hit of screen time before I finally pass out. Massage me with that dopamine, I guess??

Apparently, avoiding blue light for an hour before bed helps your brain get into “sleep mode.” But let’s be real — not everyone can fully unplug. So here’s the scale I go by:

Best: Avoid screens 1 hour before bed, use warm lighting, read something (yes, on paper)
Okay-ish: 30 mins of screen-free time, short check-ins only if absolutely necessary
Worst: Lights off, in bed, scrolling for 2 hours straight (guilty 😭)

Even a small change makes a big difference the next morning. Your brain 100% knows the difference.

2. Get Enough Sleep (Not Just Some Sleep)

Shocker #2: Sleep matters. And no, 4 hours of shut-eye doesn’t count.

I went through a weird phase where I binge-read sleep science books (yeah, that was a thing), and the research all said the same thing: people who consistently sleep 7–8 hours tend to live longer.
Too little? Bad.
Too much? Also… kinda bad.

Unless you’re one of those rare “short sleepers” (less than 1% of the population), you probably need more sleep than you think.

7 hours should be the bare minimum — and that includes winding down time, not just the moment you close your eyes. So realistically, you need to block out like 7.5 hours at least.

3. Have a Morning Plan ☀️

This one’s a game-changer: make plans for the morning. Like, give yourself a reason to actually get out of bed.

One time I had a part-time job that started at 7am (why did I do that??), and even though I’m 100% not a morning person, I got up. Every time. Because I had to.

So whether it’s a job, a workout, breakfast with someone, whatever — having something scheduled helps a lot.

And if that’s too much pressure, try creating a little morning routine. Mine looks something like:

Cold water splash to the face 💦
Big glass of water
Make my bed (feels small, but makes a huge difference)

Pro tip: if you skip breakfast, at least step outside for a minute. Morning air = instant wake-up.

4. Get Some Natural Light Early On

Right after you wake up, try to expose your eyes to real daylight — even if it’s just standing by the window for a few minutes. You don’t need to stare at the sun (please don’t), but getting that natural light helps set your internal clock for the day.

Also…

4.1) Don’t Grab Your Phone First Thing 😵‍💫

Look, I know it’s hard. But using your phone the second you wake up can seriously mess you up for the rest of the day:

It shuts off melatonin (your sleep hormone) way too fast, which makes your brain foggy and tired all day
It spikes your cortisol (stress hormone), which = anxiety, mood swings, lack of focus
Worst of all? If you start scrolling socials or watching TikToks right away, your brain gets hit with a rush of dopamine and overstimulation before you’ve even started the day

Been there. Still there. Working on it.

5. Go to Bed & Wake Up at the Same Time Every Day (Even Weekends)

This one’s hard, but important.

Our bodies have this natural rhythm (circadian rhythm) that gets completely thrown off if we change our sleep schedule all the time. So even if you technically get 8 hours on the weekend, sleeping from 3am to 11am messes you up more than you think.

Sleep experts actually say consistency is even more important than how long you sleep.

So yes — ideally you’re doing all three:

Getting enough sleep
Going to bed early
Keeping your sleep schedule consistent

But if that feels like too much, just start with one and build up.

So… Why Am I Even Doing This?

This isn’t just a “here are some tips” kind of post. This is my first real challenge toward living a better life — or, as the internet calls it, my “hot girl/guy/gay era” or whatever 😂

For me, it starts with waking up early. Because when I wake up late, I feel like I lose the entire day. Even if I still get the same amount of sleep, something about using those hours in the morning instead of the middle of the night feels so much more productive — and science says the brain works better earlier, too.

Right now I’ve been sleeping around 2–3am (sometimes 4 or even 5… don’t ask), and waking up between 11am and noon. It’s not great. So I’m trying to flip that.

I’ll be doing a 3-week challenge to reset my sleep schedule and actually become a morning person. I’ll track my progress in daily posts — if you’re curious, check my [dailytrack] section 💬

Thanks for reading this far — and if you’re trying to get your life together too, let’s do it together