Researchers questioned more than 700 adults on their sleeping habits, energy levels, health, and mood. Being a morning person—someone who naturally rises around 7 AM—was associated with a 19-25% boost in “positive effect,” or feelings of happiness, liveliness, cheerfulness, and alertness, says study author Renee Biss, a psychology researcher at the University of Toronto.  Turns out morning people may be happier than night owls—people who drag themselves out of bed around 10 a.m. or later—because their natural schedule more-closely conforms to the timetable of our 9-to-5 society, says Biss. Plus, past research shows that sunlight plays a big role when it comes to your alertness, and snoozing when the sun’s up maysap your energy and lead to depression. For those of us who consistently get up on the wrong side of the bed when it comes to early rising, here’s how to become a morning person:

  1. Let the sun shine in. Harness the sun’s power to reset your body’s sleep rhythms, recommends Shelby Harris, PsyD, director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at Montefiore Medical Center. Start by getting up at your usual hour, but spend the first 15 minutes of your day sitting or walking in direct sunlight. Continue to do this every morning, but start getting out of bed 20 minutes earlier each day. Eventually you’ll naturally want to go to bed earlier too, and rising early won’t feel like a struggle.
  2. Shut down. Reduce your evening screen time, says Dr. Harris. TVs, iPads, computers, and some smartphones emit a type of light that limits your body’s natural production of melatonin. This prevents you from feeling tired, she says, leading to unhealthy night owl tendencies. 
  3. Strategize your daylight hours. Save your “awake” activities—things like working, exercising, watching TV, or meeting up with friends—for the daylight hours, advises Dr. Harris. When the sun goes down, you should be winding down, too. Reserve your evenings for quiet activities like reading, meditating, or listening to mellow music.
  4. Plan for late nights. If your schedule occasionally demands that you stay up late, buy light-blocking window shades, Dr. Harris says. This will prevent the morning rays from disrupting your last few hours of ZZZs. Also, make sure your bedroom is cool and quiet to promote middle-of-the-night-quality rest, she says.   More from Prevention: Tired All The Time?