1 Wake up with the sun. Sleep with your window coverings halfway open. That way, the natural light of the rising sun will send a signal to your brain to slow its production of melatonin and increase its production of adrenaline, a signal that it’s time to wake up. When the alarm goes off, you’ll already be half awake. Even better: go to bed early enough so that waking up when the sun shines through your window still gives you the recommended seven hours of shut-eye.
2 Get your blood flowing. Before you open your eyes, lift your arm and stretch each finger, then your hand, wrist, and arm. Next, move on to the other arm, then your toes, feet, ankles, and legs. End with a neck and back stretch that propels you out of the bed. You’ve just limbered up your muscles and joints, and enhanced the flow of blood throughout your body, providing an extra shot of oxygen to all your tissues.