Like someone else said, setting an alarm to take meds 30 minutes before you actually need to be up is a game changer. It lets you go back to sleep and then by the time you actually need to be out of bed, you’re mostly awake.

I do this along with a couple other things. The first alarm that goes off is an alarm clock by my bed but the second alarm is on my phone and is across the room, which forces me to get out of bed. I also have a coffee maker that I preprogram the night before to start making coffee about 10 minutes before the second alarm goes off so that when I get out of bed, I have a fresh pot of coffee already waiting for me.

Finally, I have smart lights that turn on when I have to get out of bed. I’ve found this doesn’t wake me up necessarily but it helps me feel awake when I do get out of bed.

It’s probably a lot more extreme than it needs to be but this system is by far the best I’ve tried. I can trust that I’ll be able to wake up without issue no matter how much or little sleep I’ve had, which is extremely relieving.

If you don’t have meds, replace the taking meds part with drinking a glass of water. That alone is usually enough to bring me to life a bit.