What's the best way to wake up?

Experts weigh in on snooze buttons, sunlight and sleeping in

- Caroline Hopkins Legaspi

I've heard plenty of advice about how to prepare for a good night's sleep, but what about waking up? What is the ideal way to start my day?

Your schedule often determines exactly when you get out of bed. But to the extent you can shape your routine, experts have some thoughts on the healthiest morning habits.

"I always joke that the best thing to do is to get a puppy," said Professor Mariana Figueiro, who studies light and health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

She is only half kidding. The two keys to a healthy wake-up routine, she said, are getting up at a consistent time each day and viewing morning sunlight—both tend to come with a regular morning dog walk.

Four other sleep and circadian rhythm specialists agreed with Prof Figueiro about the importance of these two morning habits. Here are their other recommendations—dog or no dog.

STAY CONSISTENT

Assuming you had the flexibility to choose, is there an ideal time to wake up?

Not exactly. As long as you sleep for seven to nine hours each night, there is no best time to wake up, said Dr. Daniel Barone, associate medical director of the Weill Cornell Center for Sleep Medicine.

More important is that you stick to the same time, said Dr. Katherine Sharkey, an associate professor who studies sleep at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.