If you typically wake up at 8:00 a.m. and decide that tomorrow you want to be out of bed by 5:00 a.m., you might be setting yourself up for failure. Instead, try waking up just 15 minutes earlier each day. Within a week, you’ll have worked your way up to almost two hours.

When you’re deprived of rest, this can make it more challenging to wake up on time, let alone earlier. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), healthy adults should get 7-9 hours[1] of shuteye each night , so plan accordingly. For instance, if you want to start waking up at 6:00 a.m. and feel the most rested with 8 hours of sleep, you should go to bed at 10:00 p.m.

If you find that you’re not tired when your scheduled bedtime rolls around, establish a calming bedtime routine like reading or drinking sleep tea. You could also shower and get your clothes ready for the next day to feel more prepared and relaxed.

Once you’ve established your ideal wake-up time, stick to it. The same goes for your bedtime as well. Maintaining this schedule will keep your circadian rhythm in check, which should help you sleep better and make it easier to fall asleep and get up on time.

The rule applies to weekends, too. To help you stay on track, schedule early morning activities such as a hike with friends or family, a workout session with a trainer, or a coffee meetup.

If you need slightly more rest come Saturday or Sunday, only allow yourself an extra hour. If you sleep in too much, this could disrupt your internal clock.

A full belly can be uncomfortable when you’re trying to doze off, or for those susceptible to Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), this could trigger acid reflux or heartburn. That being said, hunger pains could also have you tossing and turning.

Rather than having a large meal close to your bedtime when you’re hungry, opt for a light and healthy snack to curb your hunger without leaving you stuffed.

While a cup of joe in the morning can help you feel alert, consuming caffeine too late in the day could prevent you from falling asleep at night. So instead of reaching for an energy drink or latte when you need a pick-me-up, splash cold water on your face or go outside for a brisk walk.

You should also avoid drinking alcohol before bed. While it can make you sleepy at first, experts say alcohol could lead to disrupted sleep[2], which could make it harder for you to get up when morning rolls around.

Here’s a trick to help you get out of bed: put your alarm clock further away from you. When the alarm is right next to you on a nightstand, you might be more inclined to hit that snooze button and stay in bed. However, placing the alarm clock on the other side of the room forces you to get up once it starts buzzing.

To help you feel motivated in the morning, develop a schedule of what you’d like to do. Not only should this encourage you to wake up, but it can also help you be more efficient and avoid forgetting important tasks. Your morning schedule can be whatever you want to include, such as exercise, showering, paying bills, or making your lunch for work.

Experts advise cutting off your use of electronic devices such as laptops and smartphones 30 minutes[3] before you hit the sack. There are several reasons for this.

The first is that these devices emit a blue light that hinders melatonin production. As mentioned above, melatonin is a naturally-produced hormone that helps foster sleep. At night, production increases to help you feel more sleepy, but this artificial light can impair that process.

Secondly, you may encounter some upsetting information when scrolling through your emails or social media that could leave your mind racing when it’s time to fall asleep.

To help you break away from your tech devices, avoid keeping them in your bedroom if you can. However, if your cell phone doubles as your alarm clock and you need it in the room with you, keep your phone in do not disturb mode. Notifications going off during the night could have you reaching for the phone.

Another trick to consider is leaving the bedroom blinds slightly open so that when it’s morning, the daylight can help you feel more energized. Just as the dark fosters tiredness, sunlight promotes alertness. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving the blinds open, you can also use wake-up lights, which are designed to mimic natural light.

As tempting as it may be to rest for just a few more minutes, those few winks of shuteye are neither restful nor restorative. In reality, they’re a waste of time that could cause added grogginess. Rather than building snooze time into your schedule, set your alarm for the time you have to wake up and then force yourself out of bed.

Need help? Learn how to stop hitting the snooze button.

Although you can practice these tips on your own, sometimes it helps to bring in reinforcements. If you still feel you can’t wake up, consider discussing this with a doctor.

For example, a sleep disorder could prevent you from waking up early because it’s keeping you up all hours of the night. In this case, your physician can help find a proper treatment such as lifestyle changes, therapy, or medications.