How to Get Out of Bed in the Morning When You Don’t Want To

The room is still dark, the bed is at its warmest, and the thought of bare feet on a cold floor isn’t helping. Getting out of bed can feel like the hardest part of the day, and there may be some good reasons why. In our 2026 Sleep Survey, fewer than 1 in 20 people (5%) said they always wake up feeling refreshed. Here’s what could be keeping you under the covers, plus a few ways to make mornings a little easier.

1. Morning grogginess

That groggy, foggy feeling straight after waking is known as sleep inertia. It’s a temporary spell of sleepiness and slower thinking as the brain shifts from sleep to being awake, according to a 2019 review of the research. Our guide to morning grogginess explains why it happens.

2. Not enough sleep

The same 2019 sleep inertia review found that grogginess tends to be worse after too little sleep. Most healthy adults need around 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Yet more than half of the people we surveyed (53%) said they usually sleep for 6 hours or less. Our post on how many hours of sleep we need breaks down the recommendations for each age.

3. A body clock that runs late

Many people’s body clocks run later than their work or school schedules, a gap scientists call social jetlag. In a large 2012 study, around 70% of participants had more than an hour’s difference between their body clock and their daily routine. Early bird or night owl? Our guide to sleep chronotypes can help you find out.

4. Dark mornings

Daylight helps set the body clock, or circadian rhythm, so dark mornings may make waking up feel harder. Without enough daylight, body clocks can get set later and later, according to research led by Till Roenneberg. He’s the sleep scientist who coined the term social jetlag. There’s more advice on this in our guide to dark mornings and sleep.

5. A cosy bed in a chilly room

On frosty mornings, the gap between a toasty duvet and a cold bedroom can make leaving bed feel like a big ask. For more tips on wintry starts, see our post on getting up when it’s cold.

6. A busy day ahead

A packed or stressful day may make the duvet feel extra tempting. Stress was one of the most common reasons for a bad night in our Sleep Survey, cited by 28% of respondents. One in five (20%) said being nervous about something they had to do the next day disturbed their sleep. Breaking the morning into small steps, starting with simply sitting up, could make getting going feel more manageable.

1. Get enough sleep at regular times

Going to bed and getting up at similar times each day may help the body know when it’s time to sleep. A calming evening routine could make it easier to stick to a regular bedtime.

2. Let the daylight in

The body uses sunlight to time when to wake up. Opening the curtains or stepping outside soon after waking may help signal that it’s morning. A few minutes by the window with a cuppa could be a gentle way to start the day.

3. Put the alarm out of reach

Putting the alarm on the other side of the room means getting up to switch it off. Once you’re on your feet, staying up may feel a little easier. For a gentler start, our post on waking up without an alarm has a few ideas.

4. Plan something to look forward to

We asked what would get people out of bed an hour earlier. Seeing family came in first (36%), ahead of seeing a partner (32%) and seeing friends (28%). Smaller treats count too. A favourite breakfast, a podcast or a coffee in the garden could all make the first few minutes of the day more appealing. Our round-up of the best morning drinks has a few tasty ideas.

5. Get organised the night before

Laying out clothes, packing a bag and prepping breakfast the night before means fewer decisions first thing. Our guide to healthy morning routines has more ideas for a smoother start.