The Early Riser Strategy
I am turning over this post to my very good friend who will remain anonymous but has a government job that requires that he get up very early in the morning. Insanely early in my world but he has been doing it, and doing it right for some time now. He told me that he'd learned a few things about getting up early and I asked him if he'd mind writing them up for me so that I might post them. He was kind enough to oblige. Thus, the following:

No one likes to get out of bed in the wee hours of the morning. As one who has to rise early, I find that these few things help me immensely, and there are no side effects! (e.g. yawning for hours, blurry vision, intense craving for more sleep)

Place your alarm clock across the room away from your bed. You will have to get out of bed to turn it off.

Turn your alarm clock so that you cannot see the time. If you wake up in the middle of your sleep session you will not know what time it is. This is beneficial because if you are trying to sleep, why do you need to know what time it is?
The only thing you need to know is that it is not time to get up. This knowledge will empower you to go back to sleep knowing that your alarm is set and it is not time to get up because the alarm clock did not go off.

Should you find yourself staying up later than usual but you still have to rise at the appointed hour, divest yourself of your watch and do not look at the clock. You do not need to know how much sleep you did not get but only that the sleep you get will be enough. Clock watching is only torture. Why remind yourself that you are up past your bedtime?

Do not watch the late news. Everything that happened before you went to sleep and after you went to sleep will be broadcast bright and early the next morning, regardless of when you went to sleep or when you wake up.

Under no circumstances should you hit the snooze button. Doesn't it make more sense to set the alarm clock for the absolute last minute that you have to be up? Think of this as a sleep premium because you are maximizing the amount of time that you can remain in bed.

Finally, make your morning coffee stronger than usual. Why go for two or three cups when one good strong dose of caffeine is all you really need. Think about the time (or money) saved by reducing your caffeine intake and the subsequent trips to the bathroom.

And there you have it. A good compact shot of wisdom across your sleepy head. And mine.