9 Scientifically Proven Ways to Have a Happier Morning

Why it works: For all the obvious reasons (you'll be better rested, more alert, more optimistic about what the day holds).

Strange, true thing that might convince you (as if you need it): When you lose sleep, you also risk losing your sense of humor. No joke: The ability to "get" that something is funny requires you to process information cognitively as well as emotionally—and that processing is severely affected by a lack of sleep, explains William D.S. Killgore, an associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. In one of his studies, sleep-deprived participants had significant difficulty recognizing when items like news headlines and cartoons were supposed to make them laugh.