I didn't become an atheist after waking up. Becoming an atheist is how I woke up.
I think it's the best way to wake up. You're far less likely to fall victim to another cult. And you're less likely to be plagued by lingering fears of being destroyed at Armageddon. It's the most sober awakening you can have. If you wake up and you're still a theist then you're still groggy with sleep and might go back to sleeping in another bed.
How did I become an atheist? An apostate posted a question or answer on a forum pointing out how Watchtower's Evolution book used distorted, misleading quotations from scientists. I looked into it and discovered how Watchtower and other Creationist sources make use of dishonest and fallacious tactics to discredit evolution. I took a fresh look at evolution and discovered there's actually lots of compelling evidence supporting it. I accepted evolution as being true. That meant the Bible can't be the infallible word of God. What else have I been misled to believe by religion? That question led to objective research into critical thinking and the atheist position. My eyes were opened quickly and suddenly realized how utterly superstitious, irrational and damaging, religion is. Watchtower no longer had any credibility with me. I lost all fear of apostates and apostate information and learned of all the rubbish tarnishing the JW organization.