I’ve been SO tired all the time lately! I don’t know if it’s this new work schedule (10:30am-7pm) or hitting snooze on my alarm every 15 minutes for an hour every morning, but something needs to change! If you need more energy too, join me in trying these 5 tricks to feel more energized:

1. Instead of hitting snooze on the alarm, use an app that analyzes your sleep cycles to wake you up at the perfect moment. Sleep Cycle is an awesome free app for this. You plug your phone in, pick a 30 minute window for wake up time the next day, and place the phone under your pillow.

2. Wake up to natural daylight. Colby might not be a big fan of this one, but letting light in when you wake up helps your body get energized for the day. If it’s still dark when you are getting up, use CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs in your house. Not only are they more energy efficient, they also mimic daylight.

3. Do some light to moderate exercise in the morning. Early morning physical activity will get your blood flowing! Try something easy, like a 10 minute walk, to get some fresh air. A workout that’s too intense could fatigue you for the whole day!

4. Get caffeinated, but not too much. Coffee has many health benefits, and it will perk you up, but the more you drink, the more you’ll need to feel awake. Listen to this awesome podcast about the health benefits and risks of coffee drinking. (I recently joined my friends on BetaSandwich.com to bring you fun and informative science news, check it out!)

5. Get on a regular sleep schedule! Go to bed and wake up at the same time each night, even on weekends. A full sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes, so aim to wake up at the end of a 90 minute period. For example, it may be better to sleep 7.5 or 9 hours instead of 8. Remember to power down your electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime and eat your last meal/ snack at least and hour before bed.

I’m sure I could go on and on about ideas to feel more rested during the day, but these 5 should be a good start. Can you commit to them? What’s your trick for feeling energized during the day?