And I concur with Jordan. I have a Philips Wake-Up-Light which has worked wonders for my mornings. It comes on gradually so the waking process is more natural than the abrupt and harsh instant bucket-of-cold-water that is the regular alarm clock.

Going to bed hungry is a great incentive to get out of bed.

Sleeping on a comfortable bed is a big problem. I am trying it now without a pillow (I hate it,) but the most effective way is on the floor.

Coffee is out.

I don’t have a day job now, trying to go all way freelance. Up to now, except some personal satisfaction and lots of debts, no much results… but even that’s a start, I guess.

Good luck with the early waking up! I’m checking you on Twitter, mind;-)

I prefer to wake up at 9-10 am, and to go to bed around midnight… Also, I think I work better during evenings and afternoons, not in the early morning — so why wake up so early?

Get a SunRizr. It’s a little box that you plug into your nightstand light. You set the time on it for when you want to be “awake,” and 45 minutes before that it turns on your lamp very slowly – simulating the light intensity curve of a sunrise. I’ve had one for about 12 years, and it may be the best $130 I’ve ever spent. Give it two weeks, and you’ll hate having to wake up without it. Seriously. I pack it, and an incandescent bulb, when I go on travel for work now (it won’t work with a CFL).

The things that really helped me to be consistent were first to learn to jump straight out of bed when the alarm goes off. Takes some practice but once you’ve mastered it you remove any opportunity to rationalise more sleep. Once you’re up, you’re up. Next, get up at the same time every day – even weekends.

Finally, in order to make sure you get enough sleep, avoid TV and screens later in the evening. Go to bed when you’re tired. Read. Learning to spot when you’re actually tired, and avoiding bright artificial light like TVs and computer screens is really useful. Now I know (after a bit of time on this sort of schedule) I’ll go to sleep between 10 and 12 so avoid screens after 9 as much as I can.

And I had an idea – how about a “coffee club” website – a site you go to first thing, when it’s still obscenely early, to exchange bland pleasantries with other bleary-eyed early-workers? Actually, I might have to do something like that myself … :)