The Best How-To Articles for Waking Early

As I mentioned in one of last week's posts, I'm thrilled to be rising in the wee hours of the morning these days. If you missed it, you can read all about the productivity benefits of waking early, and how I made the change, here.

Getting up in the predawn hour is a hugely popular topic these days, as evidenced by the amount that's been written about it, especially among productivity enthusiasts. So let's clear the clutter, shall we? I'm sharing my favorite blog posts and articles on the subject with you today. As you'll quickly discover, the advice varies widely and the techniques that work for some don't always work for others. I chose the bits that worked best for me, and I encourage you to do the same.

1. The first is from Leo Babauta, of Zenhabits. I love the simple, straightforwardness that is his blog and I read it often, for business tricks, writing advice and general-life tips. I hope you love it too.

2. Steve Pavlina appears to be the OG of waking early. He wrote an awesome post on the topic eight years ago, and it has received more than 5,000 Facebook likes and more than 1,000 Twitter shares. (Not bad for an article that was written before social media really existed!) The post was so popular, he wrote a follow-up piece that's also worth the read. Lots of the techniques in these two pieces really worked for me.

3. Here's a great post on the benefits of waking early, from Forbes.com and a substantial list of famous creatives who swore by the practice, at Slate.com.

4.  Finally, for the most clinical advice, head to the National Sleep Foundation.

Happy snoozing and even happier waking!

Have you turned back your body clock? What articles and advice were most helpful to you?