AdminThese science-backed strategies can help increase your morning energy, even on days when you feel sleep-deprived.
Many people experience mornings where they feel sluggish and unmotivated, even after getting what seems like enough sleep. In an attempt to feel more alert, it’s common to reach for multiple cups of coffee.
However, too much caffeine can lead to unwanted side effects such as jitters, anxiety, and frequent trips to the bathroom. These are familiar experiences for many people, and you are not alone in facing them.
Fortunately, there are healthier and more sustainable ways to overcome morning fatigue and start your day with better energy. If waking up feeling refreshed is a struggle, the following strategies may help.
1. Don’t hit snooze
That button on top of your alarm clock may not be so helpful after all.
Spending the last half hour or so of nighttime rest in what researchers call “fragmented sleep” has consequences for your ability to function throughout the day.
A 2025 study of snooze alarm use found that users spent an average of 11 minutes snoozing, which equated to nearly 6 hours less of sleep every month.
Tip: The best thing you can do is get up when the alarm goes off the first time. To get more sleep, set your alarm as late as possible.
2. Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up
Fatigue is a common symptom of dehydration. The condition is also linked to changes in your thinking ability and mood disruptions.
To help prevent dehydration and associated fatigue, freshen up your body with a glass of water before you get moving.
Tip: If you still can’t shake morning lethargy, try increasing your intake of water and other non-caffeinated beverages throughout the day. Drinking more water can prevent dehydration, keeping you more alert.
3. Stretch out your tired body with yoga
There’s a reason it feels so good to stretch when you wake up. Overnight, during REM sleep, your muscles are temporarily paralyzed. This is known as atonia.
Waking up and stretching increases circulation throughout your body, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and brain.
Tip: If you have a bit of time for morning yoga, take it. Even a brief stretch or exercise session can trigger the release of endorphins, provide a boost of energy, and improve brain function.
4. Take a cold shower
A 2025 review of cold water immersion therapy studies noted benefits like decreased inflammation and stress, and improved sleep quality and quality of life.
However, no newer studies exist on cold showers specifically, and researchers of the review noted limitations like small sample sizes and a lack of different populations of study participants.
Still, a cold shower or even a splash of cold water on the face to signal a temperature change to your body may help.
Tip: Is getting out of bed the main problem? Keep a spray bottle or water mist by your bedside table so you can lean over and mist yourself without even opening your eyes!
5. Eat breakfast to spark your energy
The jury is still out on whether breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But some research does suggest that skipping this first meal can negatively affect your energy and ability to pay attention throughout the day.
Food is fuel. Give your body some calories to put it into action at the start of the day.
Tip: Build a fatigue-fighting breakfast.Since what you eat at breakfast can affect how you feel for hours, making the right choice is critical for your morning. Reach for a combination of fatigue-fighting foods like lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, and lower-sugar fruits.
Try these breakfast recipes!
- Peanut butter breakfast muffins
- Savory chicken breakfast sausage with greens
- Strawberry banana breakfast bars
- Chickpea scramble breakfast burritos
- Egg and avocado breakfast sandwich
6. Limit added sugars at breakfast
All breakfasts are not created equal, so take stock of your morning food choices.
Sugary items like sweetened coffee drinks, pastries, and breakfast cereals which contain added sugars can lead to the classic blood sugar spike-and-drop that leaves you feeling drained.
Tip: Pay attention to nutrition labels to see how many added sugars you’re getting at breakfast, and cut back wherever possible. Keep whole foods like apples, carrots, and oranges on hand for easy access.
7. Drink less coffee
That’s right, less coffee, but not none. Coffee contains caffeine. Caffeine blocks a chemical called adenosine, which builds up throughout the day and makes you feel tired.
However, chugging a lot in the morning may lead to a greater tolerance for and dependence on caffeine, meaning someone needs to drink more to feel the positive effects on their energy levels.
Key Terms
An adenosine rebound is when a wave of fatigue, mental fog, and sleepiness occurs after the effects of caffeine wear off. When you drink coffee, adenosine, a chemical that drives sleepiness, builds up in your brain. Caffeine prevents adenosine from binding to adenosine receptors, a type of protein in your brain.
Once the caffeine is gone, this accumulated adenosine binds to its receptors all at once, creating a powerful rebound effect.
Experimenting with a reduced amount of caffeine in the morning may reduce dependence and make you less tired.
Tip: Avoid the big mugs. Purchase a smaller cup, if you have to, to help reduce the amount you drink.
8. Go outside to activate your brain
Sunlight bumps up your body’s serotonin levels, leading to improved sleep and increased daytime energy. A 2023 study showed that consistent exposure to morning light improves sleep and lowers morning sleepiness.
Sounds like a very good reason to carve out a portion of your morning in the great outdoors.
Tip: If going outside is a chore in the early morning, adjust your curtain so that the sunlight seeps in when you’re getting ready to wake up.
9. Exercise as soon as you wake up
Sure, when you want to crawl back into bed, exercise may sound pretty unappealing but it may be exactly what your body needs to get help booting up. Research consistently correlates aerobic exercise with reduced fatigue.
Another small 2021 study showed that 30 seconds of high intensity exercise after waking can help you feel more alert but doesn’t affect cognitive performance.
See if you can squeeze in a quick walk or bike ride, or try a longer workout for even more benefit.
Tip: When pressed for time, get your body up with a few rounds of high-knees and jumping jacks. Even 30 seconds of torso twists could do the trick, or plan a short cardio commute on your way to work.
Read More: How to improve mental health naturally
10. Address your stress
Is it possible that negative feelings about your job or stressors at home are draining you of morning oomph?
You may not be able to fix certain situations overnight, but once you’ve identified them as a source of mental and physical exhaustion, you may be able to take some action to relieve them.
Tip: Streamline harried mornings at home by making school lunches the night before, or make time for morning meditations and create calm before your day begins.
11. Give yourself something to look forward to
Sometimes all we need for an energy boost is a little excitement on the horizon.
To beat morning fatigue, consider scheduling a phone call with a friend during your commute, penciling in an outdoor walk on your midmorning break, or pre-making an appealing breakfast that calls you out of bed.
Tip: Let another schedule determine yours. Make an earlier morning podcast or radio show part of your wake-up routine.
12. Take steps to improve your mental health
If morning fatigue becomes a chronic problem, it could be due to depression or anxiety. People with depression may feel worse in the morning or only feel depressed in the morning.
Tracking your mood and speaking with a mental health professional can help to improve those feelings.
Tip: Dig a little deeper. Asking some key questions about your mental health state may reveal an underlying condition that needs professional attention.
13. Practice good sleep (and waking) hygiene
If your bedtime habits can have so profound an effect on your rest, so too could your waking routine. You’ve probably heard of sleep hygiene, the best practices that help you fall asleep at night. These include:
- turning off screens an hour before bed
- turning in at the same time each night
- creating a comfortable sleeping environment
Getting up at the same time each morning helps maintain circadian rhythm, the internal biological clock that’s responsible for feelings of sleepiness.
Tip: Make an effort to rise at the same time every day, even on weekends, to see if you can banish the midmorning slump.
Read More: Natural Remedies for Anxiety And Stress Relief
In Summary
If you’re having problems getting out of bed every morning, it’s best to speak with a healthcare professional to rule out any serious causes or mental health factors.
In many cases, you should be able to get over this hump with regular morning exercise, drinking enough water and eating a healthy breakfast.
Maintaining good sleep and waking routines helps support your optimal energy levels throughout the day.
Admin