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Coffee or caffeine in the morning is a necessity.
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After all, it stimulates your central nervous system, elevates your mood, and increases your alertness.
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But for those times that it's not available or for those who don't drink it, here are some scientific tips to kick your body into gear.
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Number one, find the light.
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Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the brain, and is critical in regulating your sleep.
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When it's dark, your body produces more melatonin, making you sleepy.
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And when it's light, the production of melatonin drops.
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So open those curtains, go outside, and expose yourself to light in the morning to decrease melatonin production and physiologically wake your body up.
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If you have to wake up in darkness, try an illuminating alarm clock.
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They slowly fill your room with light to wake you up naturally.
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Two, end your shower with cold water.
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Studies show that exposing yourself to cold water can activate components of the brain responsible for regulating wakefulness, making you feel alert.
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Researchers have also found that the shock of cold shower water can increase your metabolic rate further, reducing feelings of fatigue.
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Three, hydrate yourself.
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Up to sixty percent of your body is water.
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While sleeping, you sweat, breathe, get up to urinate, or poop, all of which dehydrate you.
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Studies show that even mild dehydration decreases alertness, increases fatigue, and negatively affects mental concentration.
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So in the morning, grab a glass of water to replenish your fluids to fight off that tired feeling.
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And don't forget to drink water throughout the day to stay alert.
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Four, eat a healthy breakfast.
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Researchers have found that participants feel more alert after consuming a meal first thing in the morning.
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If the meal was high in simple sugars, like a donut, the alertness wore off quickly, whereas if the meal was high in fiber and carbohydrates, like oats, alertness lasted longer throughout the morning.
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Another study found that breakfasts high in fat taste better, but led to consuming more food throughout the day as opposed to a high fiber and carbohydrate breakfast which satiated hunger and increased cognitive function throughout the day.
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Five, drink some orange juice.
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Citrus fruits ,like oranges, are rich in molecules called "flavonoids".
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Flavonoids have been linked to slowing cognitive decline due to aging, and decreasing the onset of Neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimers.
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One study found that participants who consumed flavonoid-rich orange juice had increased alertness and cognitive function compared to their counterparts who were fed a placebo.
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Number six, be physically active in the morning.
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Studies have found that physically active students perform better on tests than those who are less active.
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Physical activity enhances cognition due to the increased blood flow throughout the body, providing your brain with more oxygen and increasing mental performance.
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And the hippocampus, which is part of the brain critical for learning and memory, is highly active during exercise.
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And seven, listen to music.
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Music has the ability to create a state of arousal, causing pupils to dilate and blood pressure to increase.
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It can also increase activation in regions of the brain associated with movement and emotion while potentially releasing the "feel good" chemical, dopamine, throughout your body.
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So build that wake up playlist.
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And subscribe for more weekly science videos.