How to Wake Up Early in Winter When It's Dark and Cold

Learning how to wake up early in winter is really about two things: no light and a cold room. In June and July, sunrise in Melbourne, Hobart and Canberra is after 7:30am, so a 6am alarm goes off in full darkness, and the gap between a warm doona and a 10 degree bedroom feels enormous. This guide covers why winter mornings are harder, how to use light when there isn't any, handling a cold bedroom safely, keeping your body clock steady, and a step-by-step routine.

The short answer: make your own morning light, because your body clock won't get any from the sky until well after you're up. Keep the same wake time all week, warm the room or your clothes before you get out of bed, and have a reason to be up. The Sleep Health Foundation says it's common to find it harder to wake in dark, cold mornings. The fixes are practical, not willpower.

Why winter mornings are harder

Light is the main signal for your body clock. The Sleep Health Foundation says the most important external signal for the biological clock is light, and that when the eye senses light it sends signals to the brain that reset the clock every day (source).

In winter that signal arrives late. The Sleep Health Foundation notes that shorter days and longer nights mean less sunlight, which can disrupt our circadian rhythms, and that with less light exposure the body produces more melatonin, the hormone that makes us feel sleepy (source). It adds that it's common to find it harder to wake up in dark, cold mornings, and that too much sleep can also affect health and mood.

Then there's the cold. Better Health Channel says the right bedroom temperature for most people is between 17 and 19°C (source). Plenty of Australian bedrooms sit well below that on a July morning. Nobody is weak for finding it hard to leave a warm bed.

Make your own light

You can't move sunrise, but you can bring light forward.

• Lights on the moment the alarm goes. Not the bedside lamp. The main light, then the kitchen and bathroom. Bright light tells your brain it's morning even when the window says otherwise.
• Open the curtains anyway, so you catch the first of the sun.
• Get outside when the sun is up. The Sleep Health Foundation says being out in natural daylight improves sleep at night, and that it's best to be outside in the early part of the day (source). A ten-minute walk at 7:45am, or a coffee on the back step, counts.
• Dim the evenings. Flooding the house with light at 9pm drifts your body clock later. Lamps instead of downlights after dinner.
• A sunrise alarm can help some people, though it wakes anyone sharing the bed. See sunrise alarm vs vibrating alarm.

Deal with the cold room

The cold is what keeps most people under the doona after the alarm. Fix the cold and the getting up gets easier.

Option	Good	Watch out for
Heater on a timer 20 to 30 minutes before the alarm	Room is warm when you get up	Only with a fixed heater, or a portable one with a tip-over switch, in a clear space
Warm clothes by the bed	Dressing gown, ugg boots and a jumper within arm's reach	None, this one is free
Layered bedding	Easier to shed a layer than fight one heavy doona	Overheating at night
Electric blanket to warm the bed	Bed is warm at bedtime	Turn it off before you fall asleep
Thermals under pyjamas	Getting up isn't a shock	None

Heater safety matters. The CFA's advice is to keep anything that can catch fire at least one metre from all heat sources, turn heating off before going to bed, turn portable heaters off if you leave the room, and always plug electric heaters into the wall rather than a powerboard (source). Gas heaters should be serviced every two years. So heat the room in the morning, not all night.

The simplest fix of all: a jumper and socks on the floor beside the bed. The first 30 seconds are the cold part.

Keep your body clock steady

Winter tempts you to sleep in on weekends. That pushes your body clock later and makes every weekday alarm feel earlier.

• Same wake time, seven days. Better Health Channel says getting up at the same time every day, even on weekends, helps to set and maintain your body clock. Within an hour on Saturday is fine.
• Keep bedtime steady too. The Sleep Health Foundation recommends a consistent sleep routine through winter, morning sunlight when possible, and a dark, comfortable bedroom.
• Don't oversleep. The Foundation notes too much sleep can also increase the risk of mood changes.
• Exercise in the morning light. Better Health Channel says morning exercise is best because the morning light helps us to wake up.
• Watch the afternoon coffee. Winter tiredness leads to more coffee later in the day, which pushes bedtime later. See caffeine and sleep.

If your sleep has already drifted late over winter, see how to fix your sleep schedule for moving it back in steps.

A winter wake-up routine

1. Night before: clothes out, heater on its timer, blinds set so the first light gets in, alarm set once. See how to stop hitting snooze.
2. Alarm: sit up, feet on the floor, jumper and socks on. Don't lie there deciding.
3. Lights: main light on, then every room you walk through.
4. Warmth: kettle on, hot shower.
5. Water, then something to do. A reason to be up (the dog, a run, a quiet half hour before the kids) matters more in July than in January.
6. Outside at sunrise, even for five minutes.

Give it two weeks. The routine gets easier faster than the sunrise does. See how to become a morning person.

When to see your GP

This guide is general information, not medical advice. See your GP if winter brings a persistent low mood, you're sleeping far more than usual and still exhausted, or you can't get up no matter what you try. Heavy snoring or waking unrefreshed is worth mentioning too.

Where the Sovune Nudge fits

We make the Sovune Nudge, a vibrating alarm wristband, so we're not neutral. For dark winter mornings:

• It builds through three intensity levels over a full minute, starting as a gentle tap, and you can switch it off sooner.
• No light and no sound in the room, so your partner keeps sleeping while you get up at 6am.
• Set on the band itself, no phone or app, so your phone can charge in another room.
• Shows the time when you press the button, so you know whether it's 3am or 6am without a screen.
• Battery lasts up to 14 days of nightly use per charge.

It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Quick answers

Why is it so hard to wake up in winter? Less morning light means your body clock gets its wake-up signal late, you're producing more melatonin, and a cold room makes leaving bed unpleasant.

How do I wake up at 6am when it's dark? Bright lights the moment the alarm goes, the same wake time all week, a warm room or warm clothes ready, and outside as soon as the sun is up.

Is it OK to sleep more in winter? A little more is normal for some people, but the Sleep Health Foundation warns that oversleeping can affect mood and health.

Should I leave the heater on overnight? No. The CFA advises turning heating off before bed. Use a timer so it comes on shortly before your alarm, with a metre of clear space around it.

For every type of silent alarm compared, see our complete guide to vibrating alarms in Australia.

See the Sovune Nudge →