How to wake up early in winter – tips and tricks

Why is it hard to wake up early in the winter?

Typically, there are two main reasons why you experience such difficulty waking up early during winter mornings. Here's what they are and how they influence your sleep cycle:

1. Melatonin is the body hormone that regulates our wake and sleep cycles. As melatonin levels rise when we're surrounded by darkness, it simply prepares us to transition into the various stages of sleep. During summertime, for example, once we turn our alarm off, the sun has most probably already risen. Therefore, we feel energised and ready to start our day. Unlike in winter, when the moment most of us wake up, it's still pretty much pitch-black outside. So, high levels of melatonin production in our body during wintertime can influence our 24-hour cycle which regulates how we function, often resulting in difficulty waking up.¹
   
   
2. The temperature in our bodies is the other most common cause of oversleeping in the morning. Our body temperature is also regulated by our sleep-wake rhythm. When we are awake, the temperature in our bodies rises to signal that we are awake and active. The opposite happens when we are asleep. Our temperature decreases to let us know it's time to go to bed and reaches its lowest point when we are deeply asleep.² That is why sleeping in a cold room can improve the quality of our sleep. Unfortunately, this often means that by waking up in a cold room, we also tend to feel sleepy and want to stay in bed longer. 
   

Tip on how to wake up in winter and not feel tired

By following our tips and tricks on how to wake up early during the colder months, you won't need an alarm to be fully awake and energised to start your day! Here's what you can do:

• Use as much light as possible. An easy way to help yourself naturally wake up is by allowing light to enter your bedroom. Unfortunately, there is not always enough light during wintertime, and your sleep-wake rhythm gets disturbed. That is why we recommend using a Sleep and Wake-Up Light. The process of changing and increasing light is designed to gently prepare your body for waking up while you are still asleep. It is specifically designed to improve your general well-being after you wake up.
• Maintain a constant flow of fresh air. Having direct access to fresh air can stimulate your body to make you feel awoken and excited to start the new day. During wintertime, however, it is not always possible to leave the window open for the whole night to let in fresh air. In such cases, it is best to use an Air Purifier that operates in near silence for clean air while you sleep. Additionally, its 360° airflow intake distributes clean air in every corner of the room.