Mark Twain did it. So did Thomas Edison, Jimmy Stewart, and Winston Churchill. Oprah does it now along with a host of other celebrities and people who intentionally want to start their day off right.
Hurkle Durkle is a 200 year old Scottish term (attributed to the Fife region where I hail from) that has taken social media by storm in the past year. Susan Dent, a British lexicographer and author of the popular book Word Perfect is often credited with revival of the term.
Hurkle Durkle means lounging in bed after waking up. Besides being a fun word to say, this can be worth putting into practice — if used as a stimulating wake up routine and not as a reason for remaining in bed all day.
Studies show that people generally wake up in the morning feeling their best. One 2022 study analyzed data from nearly 50,000 adults over two years and found that people generally wake up in a good mood with happiness and well-being at their highest levels.
That’s partly because there’s a natural surge in cortisol known as the cortisol awakening response (CAR). Since this hormone helps to increase alertness and regulate our moods and motivation, a surge of cortisol sets a positive emotional and cognitive tone for the day ahead.
First thing in the morning is also when our brains have cleared out toxins accumulated during the previous day. This can lead potentially to improved mental performance and flexibility. There’s also a natural rise in blood glucose levels in early morning hours called “the dawn phenomenon” by the Cleveland Clinic.
Spending a few minutes making the most of this “wake up time” can make a difference for the entire rest of our day.
Merlene Brown, a semi-retired logistics coordinator for wildfire fighter teams in southern Utah, says she likes to lounge in bed after waking up for 15-20 minutes as a transition for the coming day’s schedule. “It’s very relaxing to start the day off with less stress,” she says. “I can meditate. Plan my day. And reflect, with fewer distractions, than when jumping out of bed and immediately going into ‘action mode.’”
My wife Stephanie agrees. “I like to offer a prayer of gratitude first thing in the morning after waking up,” she says. “It helps me stay positive throughout the day by counting my blessings.”
Oprah Winfrey starts her day off much the same way. Even before opening her eyes, she says ‘thank you’ and uses the next few minutes for mindfulness and spiritual reflection. She avoids looking at her phone or scrolling until she has spent this time in self-care.
In addition to self-reflection, morning routines in bed can benefit from stretching exercises that are best done first thing after waking up. Warming up and stretching before your feet ever touch the floor can be especially beneficial for stiff joints and sore muscles.
“Stretching before getting out of bed can help wake up the body and improve circulation,” says Dr. Beth Frates, who directs wellness programming for the Stroke Research and Recovery Institute at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. “It can also turn on the parasympathetic system — the ‘rest and digest’ system — which puts us in a more relaxed state right when we get out of bed, helping set the tone for a calm morning and day.”
Apparently, stretching before getting out of bed may also help prevent falls. “By focusing on your legs and arms, you may be more careful and mindful when you put your feet on the ground,” Dr. Frates adds.
A gentle wake-up routine can also help reduce the effects of “sleep inertia” — that groggy feeling that comes from being jolted out of bed — by allowing for a smoother transition to getting up and performing daily tasks.
As a child, my Dad’s “wake up call” was to remind us to get going in the morning since, eventually, “You’ll die in bed.” He learned that from his father, and I think his father learned it from his father.
But I didn’t pass it on to my children.
After waking up, I like to lie between the sheets for a few minutes and stretch like a snow angel. It feels good simply to lie still and think about the coming day ahead. It seems I have been hurkle-durkling nearly all my life and didn’t even know it.