I am not a morning person and have never been a morning person in any sense of the world or in any universe. I strive for nine hours of sleep and that’s after staying up until midnight at the earliest. I love the sunset and what the night brings. I love going out with friends for long dinners or a late movie. I love sleeping into the day and waking up when I want to, refreshed and ready to go.

So why am I working a full time 9-5 summer job that’s an hour away from my house? Why do I schedule all of my college classes at 8am? Honestly, because I’m a little crazy. I wouldn’t recommend my methods for everyone. As much as I hate waking up early, I hate wasting my day even more. Yes, I love sleeping in, but waking up at noon makes me feel like my entire day is gone, like everyone else is already out and about without me. So naturally, I try to maximize every second of my day and I do this by waking up earlier than myself and many others might like.

So how does a night owl survive as a morning bird most days out of the year? Listen to me when I say: I know you want to stay up late watching Netflix and snacking and whatever else but if it isn’t essential you have to stop on those nights before you have to get up early. Go out with your friends on the weekends, binge watch Grey’s Anatomy after you get out of class instead of one in the morning. Get 7-9 hours of sleep in every single night. Find what works best for your body in terms of how many hours to sleep and when it is best to head to bed and wake up. Then, set an alarm a half hour or so before you actually need to get up. Don’t hit snooze when it goes off but allow yourself to check your phone, drink some water (this step is important!), and cozy up in bed until you actually need to get up. You’ll feel better once you get out of bed.

Lastly, never skip breakfast. I know how easy it is to skip and how so many of us live without breakfast but not only will your body thank you for it and you’ll feel more awake, it is so much healthier for you. I used to skip breakfast all the time but eating within the first hour of waking up boosts your metabolism and prepares you for the day. You don’t have to make waffles or even poor milk into your cereal bowl every morning, just grab some fruit or nuts, even a granola bar. Following these steps will lead to a more productive, happier, and healthier life.