Biznews editor-in-chief Alec Hogg famously gets up at the metaphorical (and sometimes literal) crack of dawn every day and takes a couple of quiet hours to read, reflect, and prepare for the day ahead. He’s not the only one. In fact, many successful people are early risers, including Apple’s Tim Cook and Disney’s Bob Iger, and Ernest Hemingway.
Waking up early has many documented benefits. For example, many early risers use their extra morning time to exercise, and a lot of studies show that morning exercise has greater benefits for our health than evening exercise. It’s also true that working out early in the morning means there’s less chance you’ll have to skip a workout – things can pile up in the afternoon and evening in a way that ruins workout plans.
Waking up early gives people a chance to quietly plan their day. Early morning is a quiet time, with fewer interruptions and demands for our attention. This can allow us to really reflect on what we want to get out of our day and how to do it.
___STEADY_PAYWALL___
Early rising can also help fight anxiety and depression. Studies show that early birds are more optimistic and have fewer mental health issues than those who sleep past sunrise, although it’s not totally clear which way causation goes on this – do cheerful people get up early or are people who get up early cheerful?
Many early risers use their morning hours to work on projects outside of their work – writing a novel, exercising, or even starting a small side business. Many others take advantage of the extra morning hours to get more done in their day jobs, perhaps using the uninterrupted time to work on projects that are hard to complete during the bustle of a normal workday.
Still other people use their morning time to do deeper, more internal work. Some people meditate, some journal, and some set aside time to quietly reflect on their goals, their relationships, and their plans. Doing this regularly can be profoundly valuable.
All in all, then, it seems like being an early bird is all upside. So, why don’t more people do it, and, most importantly, should you be doing it?
The answer to these questions is complicated.
For a start, there is a fair amount of evidence that our natural sleep rhythms have a genetic component. In other words, some of us are genetic night owls, and waking up early involves actively working against our biology. For those who are genetically predisposed to late nights and late mornings, waking up early can actually be counterproductive. Rather than making us better and more focused, it can leave us groggy and unable to concentrate on tasks.
Another factor is the natural ebb and flow of our lives. The best sleep schedule is a consistent one. Everything you ever read about sleep hygiene agrees: the best thing you can do for your sleep health is go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
But that’s not really how our lives work. Most of us – except for those with young children – tend to wake up earlier on weekdays and later on weekends. Even if we want to set a reliable sleep schedule, our social lives usually dictate later nights on the weekend, which means sleeping in the next day or living with too little sleep. If we choose to go to bed at 9 pm every night to make a 5am wake-up time, we may be sacrificing important social and professional opportunities.
Ultimately, only you can judge whether early mornings make sense to you. Factors that may affect your ability to set a 5 or 6 am wake-up time include your commute, what time your job starts, your family’s schedule, your social life, your genetics, and your daily priorities.
If you decide early mornings are not for you, you can take solace in the fact that night owls have their strengths too. They tend to be better inductive reasoners – creative and innovative thinkers – and to be more extroverted and sociable. Famous night owls include Barack Obama, Charles Darwin, and James Joyce – so you can also rejoice in the fact that you’re in good company.
