Wake up

#wake up#morning#bed#sleep#get up

The shift from sleeping to being awake is one of the biggest switches of the day, and the warm bed pulls back. The pictures below show what comes after the eyes open, so the start feels less steep.

A boy stretching in bed with an alarm clock ringing.

Wake up

A boy stretching in bed with an alarm clock ringing.

A boy with arms raised, next to symbols representing a sun, an alarm clock, and getting up.

Wake up

A boy with arms raised, next to symbols representing a sun, an alarm clock, and getting up.

A boy in bed smiling and waving.

Wake up

A boy in bed smiling and waving.

A boy waking up in bed, stretching and rubbing his eye.

Wake up

A boy waking up in bed, stretching and rubbing his eye.

A person reaches out of bed and turns off an alarm clock, with a sun picture and a calendar on the wall.

Turn off the alarm

A person reaches out of bed and turns off an alarm clock, with a sun picture and a calendar on the wall.

A smiling person waking up in bed, rubbing their eye.

Wake up

A smiling person waking up in bed, rubbing their eye.

An illustration of a woman waking up, stretching her arm up, with a sun in the background.

Wake up

An illustration of a woman waking up, stretching her arm up, with a sun in the background.

A girl waking up and stretching in bed with the sun shining.

Wake up

A girl waking up and stretching in bed with the sun shining.

A girl waking up in bed, stretching her arms.

Wake up

A girl waking up in bed, stretching her arms.

A person lies in bed and reaches for an alarm clock ringing on the bedside table.

The alarm is ringing

A person lies in bed and reaches for an alarm clock ringing on the bedside table.

A person sits up in bed and stretches their arms upwards, with a digital clock showing seven.

Stretch

A person sits up in bed and stretches their arms upwards, with a digital clock showing seven.

A person in bed reaches for a red alarm clock while the sun shines above.

Wake with the sun up

A person in bed reaches for a red alarm clock while the sun shines above.

A person in pyjamas sits up in bed with their arms in the air beside a digital clock.

Awake in bed

A person in pyjamas sits up in bed with their arms in the air beside a digital clock.

About this visual support

Between lying in a warm bed and being up and running there is a whole transition. The body wants to stay in the warmth, the mind is still inside the dream, and suddenly the legs are supposed to swing over the edge. No wonder the first reaction is often a refusal or a long silent pause.

When this transition is visible, it gets easier. A picture lets waking up be its own moment, not just the prelude to something else. Opening the eyes can be step one, stretching step two, putting the feet on the floor step three. The leap from sleep to day stops feeling like one impossible jump.

A tip that fits this exact moment: let the very first card show something sensory and kind, like rubbing the eyes or pulling the duvet aside, rather than a task. The child meets a confirmation of how the body feels, not a demand. In Routined you can also build a morning sequence where waking up holds its own quiet place before toothbrushing and clothes appear.

This image is part of these ready-made schedules

Use this image in a schedule

Build your own visual schedule with this image and download it as a print-ready PDF. Completely free.

Take the visual supports with you

In Routined you build schedules from these pictures, add timers and voice instructions, and your child follows the day on their own.

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