You can't roll out of bed without hitting the snooze button 632 times first. You share every "I hate mornings" meme that pops up on your Facebook feed. And everyone knows not to talk to you before you've had at least two cups of coffee. Translation: You are most definitely not a morning person.

But you've decided that you need to see what life is like on the other side of the sunrise. Maybe you've heard that people who wake up early are less likely to be overweight and depressed, or that your trusted snooze button may be to blame for your grumpy disposition.

Lucky for you, you don't have to stay in the dark forever. We enlisted the help of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine owner W. Christopher Winter, M.D., a board-certified sleep medicine doctor and neurologist, to get the low-down on waking up early. Step into the sunlight with these tips -- you may even find you actually (gasp!) like being a morning person.

We've all been there: You set your alarm for 5 A.M., promising yourself that you'll get that morning run in -- but when it starts beeping you just can't stop hitting snooze until it's nearly 7. Forget about the run, now you're probably going to be late for work.

But getting your jog on first thing may be one of the best things you can do to transition from night owl to morning lark. It may take a little training to get this tip down, but Winter says that working out in the morning puts your body on a schedule. "If a person wakes up at the same time every day, eats, and then works out hard at the gym, her body starts to understand when the day begins very clearly, and thus can predict activity," he says. And when you start anticipating activity first thing in the morning, you start waking up earlier sans alarm and feel more energetic because your body just knows that the treadmill is coming.

I know what you're thinking: In the the weeks between point A (needing more sleep NOW) and point B (learning to love your treadmill time in the morning), you're going to need a little extra motivation to clock in that exercise. Try planning a gym session with a friend (just make sure she's a morning person) -- most likely, you'll feel guilty if you blow off your plans. Same goes for investing in workout classes. Sign up in advance for early morning times of your cycling class; if you're paying for it and can't back out, chances are you won't trade $15 for an extra hour of sleep. Or treat yourself to a reward after the gym, like a coffee from a nearby café that you wouldn't have time to stop by if you weren't up early.

Picture your perfect morning (and yes, you must be awake for the purposes of this exercise -- sleeping in doesn't count). Are you reading? Writing? Simply eating breakfast at a table instead of on your way out the door? Figure out what things are appealing enough that you would consider trading sleep for them, and then make them happen. If there is nothing that would convince you to roll out of bed early, try transposing an hour of your night to the morning. So that TV show you watch religiously every Thursday night? Wait until Friday morning to find out what happens. The best part: You can eat breakfast while you watch. �Protein is helpful for awakening in the am as is caffeine,� says Winter. Scramble some eggs or nosh on a little Greek yogurt with berries to rev your metabolism and keep you full. Bacon and the latest episode of "True Blood"? Pretty much the breakfast of champions.

Investing in a box that gives off light may seem like an odd thing to do, but lightboxes can help you wake up without turning into Oscar the Grouch. Look for one that is very bright (around 10,000 lux), and that is either full-spectrum or blue light (because the blue light is the one that helps you wake up), says Winter. "Light tends to block melatonin secretion in the brain, and since melatonin promotes sleep, this would allow one to wake up, essentially," he explains. These can be especially helpful in the long winter months, when sunlight is scarce. The best part: You can eat breakfast while you watch.

"Carbs are all useful for going to sleep," says Winter. Munch on good carbs, like sweet potatoes and nuts, but be sure to watch your portions and avoid overindulging -- too many carbs before bed can cause you to gain weight. Winter says that you can also sip on chamomile tea to help get you sleepy enough to ditch your night-owl ways and hit the hay before your usual bedtime (if you're not already wiped out from waking up oh-so-early).