Woman reveals two-step hack for waking up early

A woman who wakes up at 5:30 in the morning has detailed her two-step strategy for getting up before sunrise — without snoozing her alarm. 

Katie Reilly, who is based in New York City, went viral on TikTok last month after sharing how making a few changes to her daily routine turned her into an early morning riser. 

‘The reason why nobody can wake up early is because the first thing that any of us do in the morning is roll back over,’ she said. ‘I would turn off my alarm, and then I would roll back over and just wait for my next alarm.’

Reilly noted that many people who struggle to wake up and start their day often set multiple alarms that go off all morning long, herself included. 

She explained that she used to set multiple alarms, starting at 5:30 a.m., and would snooze them until she had to get up at 7:30 a.m. 

Reilly said she uses a sunrise alarm clock, which wakes her up with gradual light. She noted that turning a lamp on as soon as your alarm goes off could also work 

She explained that if she sets her alarm for 5:30, she knows she doesn’t ‘actually have to get up until 7:30,’ which leads to her snoozing her alarm for roughly two hours.   

‘First thing that we all need to do, and I’m so sorry to say this, but we have to start putting our phones away,’ she said. ‘My phone now charges at my desk away from my bed, and it has significantly improved my willingness to get up.’

However, while putting her phone away has helped her build better sleep habits, it’s not actually a part of her two-step morning routine. 

Reilly said she relies on a sunrise alarm clock that wakes her up with gradual light. 

She recommended the Hatch, which retails for $130, but there other alarm clocks on the market with similar sunrise functions. 

She also keeps a glass of water by her bed and forces herself to drink it. 

According to Reilly, the combination of the light from the sunrise alarm and the drinking prevents her from going back to bed. 

As soon as her alarm goes off, she sits up and forces herself to drink a glass of water 

‘By the time I drink my full glass of water, I’m like, “Ugh, okay, I guess I might as well get up. I’m kind of awake,”‘ she said 

‘Let me demonstrate. Let’s say I’m asleep. I wake up. I’m not wanting to wake up. I don’t wanna do it,’ she explained. ‘But I have to turn off my alarm clock. 

‘So when I go and I turn off my alarm clock, I sit up, and then I grab my glass of water, and I drink the whole thing. This is a habit I have created.’ 

She referenced the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, saying she learned about creating habits after reading it.  

‘By the time I drink my full glass of water, I’m like, “Ugh, okay, I guess I might as well get up. I’m kind of awake,”‘ she concluded. 

Reilly’s video has been viewed 2.1 million times and has received more than 1,000 comments. Some people were inspired to share their own wakeup tips, while others admitted they would rather be sleeping that doing anything else. 

For those who can’t afford to buy a sunrise alarm, she advised that they ‘use the regular alarm clock and then IMMEDIATELY turn on a lamp beside it’ before drinking the water. 

Reilly filmed a follow-up video for a viewer who asked if she turns her alarm clock off before or after she drinks her water

Reilly set her Hatch alarm to show she turns off its noise function, which is birds chirping in her case, and leaves the light on as she drinks her water

Reilly later explained that she likes to get up early to work out in the morning. She noted that you won’t get up in the morning if you don’t have a specific goal 

She filmed a follow-up video for a viewer who asked if she turns her alarm clock off before or after she drinks her water. 

Reilly set her Hatch alarm to show she turns off its noise function, which is birds chirping in her case, and leaves the light on as she drinks her water. 

‘I drink my water until the water is done. I don’t just take a sip and then put it back on the table. I drink the entire glass of water,’ she added. 

In another clip, Reilly explained that she likes to get up early to work out in the morning because it makes her ‘feel better throughout the rest of the day.’   

She noted that people have to have a reason to want to wake up early or they will most definitely end up snoozing their alarms.  

‘You have a goal that is being achieved by getting up early,’ she said. ‘You also have to want to do this. You don’t have to do it. 

‘None of us have to get up early unless [we] have responsibilities. If you want to be better at getting up early, this might help.’