humans go through four to six "sleep cycles" every night. each cycle consists of five stages ranging from very light sleep (stage 1) to very deep sleep (stage 4) and then the rapid eye movement stage during which you are most likely to dream. waking up out of a deep stage 3 or stage 4 sleep is notoriously difficult. that's why being awakened from a nap can be so disorienting. it's also why waking too early in the morning can mean a miserable start to your day. most people hit their deepest sleep between 4 a. m. and 6 a. m. so it's very hard to wake up during that time. so wake up later if you can; otherwise make sure you go to bed early enough to get a good night's rest. some other tips for waking up: set your alarm for the latest possible moment so you're not tempted to fall back asleep. lose the snooze button. you might go back to sleep for a few minutes each time you hit the knob but you're getting crappy sleep. you just feel worse. sit up and swing your legs over the side of the bed. breathe deeply three or four times to orient yourself to the real world. exercise first thing in the morning to energize your mind and body and boost your fitness. but don't choose exercise over getting the sleep you need.
what should i do if i have trouble waking up in the morning?