Wake Up More Easily on Spring Mornings With the Free 'Dutch Method' Sleep Experts Recommend

You might have never heard of the 'Dutch Method,' but if you've ever visited the Netherlands during spring, you may have noticed, despite the light and bright early mornings, a distinct lack of closed blinds and curtains.

While we're hardwired to hide away from natural light when we rest, the Dutch Method, instead, welcomes it, using it to slowly wake the body each morning. The results are simple, yet effective: A regulated circadian rhythm, deeper rest, and more daytime energy when you wake.

Here, sleep experts explain why it's the spring secret to sleeping better – and how to try it for yourself.

What Is the Dutch Method for Springtime Sleep?

As Livvi DiCicco, certified sleep science coach at Sleepopolis, explains, the secret to the Dutch Method involves harnessing natural light to reset your internal body clock to the lighter, brighter spring mornings.

'The Dutch method for sleep involves keeping the curtains and blinds open to allow natural light to flood the room, helping you naturally wake up and feel refreshed for the day,' she explains.

'Natural light in the morning helps you get ready for the day. It facilitates your circadian rhythm, or your internal body clock’s 24-hour cycle. Sunlight signals to your brain that it’s time to get down to business, helping you transition from sleep mode to work mode.

'Multiple studies have shown that getting some sun before 10 am can even help improve your overall sleep quality. But it makes sense in theory: If you’re ready for the day as soon as you’re up, you’re more likely to expend energy earlier on, helping you feel sleepy by the end of the day.

'Sunlight can also increase serotonin production, which should further elevate your mood in the morning.'

What Happened When I Tried It

As a Sleep Editor, I've seen how this method can work firsthand, as it's an essential part of my spring sleep reset.

During the spring weeks, when I have to be up at 7 am for work days in the office, I leave my curtains wide open overnight to fill my space with natural light and wake me without the jolt of my alarm in the morning.

When the weather permits, I leave the window a little open, too, to allow fresh air to circulate while I sleep, and naturally regulate the temperature of my sleep space overnight. In tandem, this has deepend my sleep, allowed for easier rising in the morning, and helped me have more energy overall.

So, while this isn't a sleep hack that will help you drift off to sleep more easily, it will make waking up that little bit less arduous.

How to Try the 'Dutch Method'

It couldn't be simpler to enjoy the benefits of the Dutch Sleep Method in your own home. All you have to do is leave your bedroom window treatments open when you head to bed, allowing natural light to fill your space when morning comes and as the sun rises.

But if you find this is waking you up a little too early, you don't need to write off the Dutch Method completely. Instead, you can simply open your curtains as soon as you wake up.

'Most folks opt for blackout curtains to avoid waking up too early – light during the nighttime can indeed affect your melatonin production – but this can have negative effects if you don’t open them before starting your day,' adds Livi. 'Once you wake up, it’s important to get some sun within 30 minutes. Aside from a boost of necessary Vitamin D, this lets your body and your biological clock know that the day has started.'

And, if sleeping with your curtains, shutters, or blinds open isn't an option, or you regularly need to be up before the sun, you can always use a sunrise alarm to emulate the same benefits.

The Lumie Bodyclock Rise 100, available at Amazon, is a popular pick, and a smart home gadget that works to improve sleep, but I'd say there's nothing better, or as affordable – the Dutch Method is completely free – than the real thing.

The method isn't just suitable for spring and summer, either. Harnessing morning light, though it does appear later, is a simple way to make a house less depressing in fall and winter, and an easy way to swerve any cold-weather sleeping mistakes that leave you feeling lethargic and low on energy.

What to Shop

While you don't need to buy anything to try the Dutch Method at home, I have a few recommendations to aid deeper, more restorative rest in spring.

As a Sleep Editor, I always swap my bedding accessories seasonally, which means switching to lighter linens and airy sheets as your body temperature needs to dip a little to trigger slumber. Those, and a spritz of calming pillow spray, are my non-negotiables as the weather warms up.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet the Experts

Livvi DiCicco

Livvi is a Certified Sleep Coach at Sleepopolis. She's mainly a back and side sleeper, and her insights have been featured in Bustle, Livingetc, and Authority Magazine.

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