7 Research-Backed Ways To Wake Up In The Morning Without Coffee

Yes, it’s possible to wake yourself up in the morning without a strong brew. If you can’t have coffee, or you’re looking to cut back on caffeine, these seven tips will help you jump out of bed alert and ready to take on the day.

In this video from the AsapSCIENCE YouTube channel, you’ll learn the science behind how your body wakes up, and how to help it along without any coffee, energy drinks, or tea. Here are some tips research suggests will get your mind and body going full speed ahead:

1. Expose yourself to bright light: Your body’s internal clock uses light to determine when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. Getting some sunlight first thing in the morning will help your energy levels rise.
2. End your shower with cold water: Feel free to hop in a nice hot shower in the morning, but finish it off with cold water. The cold will increase your metabolic rate and make you feel alert.
3. Chug a glass of water: Your body needs water to fight off fatigue and other symptoms that make you want to stay in bed. Down some ice-cold water as soon as you wake up and you’ll be moving in no time.
4. Eat breakfast: Your body has been fasting all night so you need food regardless of how busy your morning is. A simple breakfast with some fibre and complex carbohydrates will give your body the energy it needs.
5. Drink orange juice: A glass of OJ will give you some sugar to get you going and some flavonoids to help you be more alert.
6. Exercise: If you do your workout first thing in the morning, you’ll increase blood flow throughout your body and send more much-needed oxygen to your brain.
7. Listen to music: Your favourite tunes can put you in a state of arousal to help amp you up. Music can also increase activity in certain regions of the brain that are associated with movement, emotion, and the feel good chemical, dopamine.

Each of these tips will help on their own, but you’ll be even better off if you can combine as many as possible. Coffee is nice, but you may not need it nearly as bad as you think you do.

7 Tips To Wake Up Without Coffee [YouTube]