I Woke Up at 4:30 AM Every Day for 30 Days — Here Is What Nobody Tells You

There is also something neuroscientists call sleep inertia, the grogginess you feel in the first 15–30 minutes after waking. By choosing a fixed, early time and sticking to it for 30 days, my body began anticipating the wake time through a process called the cortisol awakening response.

Around 30-45 minutes before your usual wake time, your brain begins releasing cortisol. Worth mentioning, this is not stress cortisol. It is preparatory cortisol, a natural biological alarm system that primes your alertness, metabolism, and immune function for the day.

A study found that checking your phone within the first minutes of waking activates the brain's threat detection system, elevating anxiety & cortisol before the day has even started. People in reactive morning mode reported 34% lower feelings of control over their day.