How it works

You make one commitment at a time, the night before. It settles itself a few minutes after your alarm. Here is one night with a stake on it, screen by screen.

The night before

Set a commitment. I will wake up tomorrow at 5:00 AM.
Set the rules. I will have 10 minutes to prove that I'm awake.
Set your stake. If I don't prove that I'm awake within 10 minutes, charge my card $25.
Set your regular alarm for 5:00 AM.

Nothing is charged tonight. Your card is saved once, and it is only ever charged if you miss your proof deadline.

The stake step of the commitment form: $10, $25 or $50, or a custom amount. Nothing is charged now.

You're committed. Sleep well. Be up by 5:00 AM and checked in by 5:10 AM. Make sure you set your alarm.

In the morning

Your alarm goes off at 5:00 AM.
You have 10 minutes to prove that you're awake.
If you prove that you're awake within 10 minutes, your card is not charged.
If you don't prove that you're awake within 10 minutes, your stake is charged to your card.

Check-in open: 8 minutes 57 seconds left to enter two words from the Kitchen word list

Proving you're awake

The app asks for two words by number, and the numbers are different every morning. You walk to your printed word list, read them off, and type them in. If they match, you're checked in and your stake is safe.

Enter these words from your Kitchen word list: word 19 and word 2, then submit words and check in

Checked in: your $25 stake is safe. Nice work. Your card will not be charged.

How do I prove that I'm awake?

Great question. You'll prove that you're awake by doing a small task, called a proof task.

A proof task involves fetching a word or code from a sheet of paper that you have previously set up and placed somewhere in your house. Then entering that word or code at wakeupearly.com to prove that you are up, out of bed, and awake.

An example proof task might be Enter words 7 and 23 from your Kitchen Word List. To find out what words 7 and 23 are, you'll need to walk to your word list, look up the words (on this sheet, cable and copper), and then enter them in the app.

There are two kinds of proof task. A word list is a sheet of 30 numbered words, and the app asks for two of them by number. A code grid is a card of random characters, and the app asks for the characters at two coordinates. You print either one at home and put it somewhere that forces you out of bed: the kitchen, the bathroom mirror, the letterbox.

A printed Kitchen word list: 30 numbered words on a single sheet

Make your first commitment tonight.

Creating an account is free and takes about a minute. Your card is only charged if you sleep in.

Get started

Questions? See the answers on the home page.