WAKE UP CALL! – Is a 5am start really the key to success?

Many highly successful people, including the likes of Richard Branson and Barack Obama, claim that a large amount of their success is owed to rising early in the morning. There is a notion that early risers are more productive as they are able to manage their time more efficiently.

To delve a bit further into this, let’s look at some of the proclaimed benefits of waking up at 5am:

Increased Productivity

We humans have the highest reserves of energy in the mornings – even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes! Most people succumb to the idea of saving spare time for evenings, however, as our energy reserves are running low at this time of day, we can end up being less productive as we commonly use this spare time to watch TV or scroll through our phones.

Serenity

Not many people are up at 5am so there’s no doubt that you’ll be able to get some uninterrupted quiet time. This is a great time to process your thoughts and plans for the day and nail down a schedule. An added bonus is that you will likely be able to catch a beautiful sunrise which can really help to set a positive mood for the day. There are various people that contribute their low stress levels to having a 5am start.

Better Sleep

An early start followed by a productive day is taxing and can be a difficult habit to develop. Although, once achieved, a 5am start will allow you to have a more fixed sleep schedule as you’ll likely be in bed earlier. A fixed sleep schedule is crucial for productive, purpose-driven individuals. The body’s natural release of melatonin, the sleep hormone, is triggered by nightfall, making the hours soon after dark the time when your body craves sleep. Sleep experts says that every hour’s sleep before midnight is worth two after. The later you stay up after this time, the less your body is responding to its natural body clock and the less productive sleep will be.

Health & Happiness

Early risers are said to have a higher satisfaction with their lives overall.; studies have shown that early risers are generally happier and healthier than those who sleep in. By waking up earlier, our biological clocks are set to a schedule that benefits our bodies. As mentioned earlier, waking earlier also means getting to sleep earlier at night. Scientific research has proven that people who fall asleep before midnight and maintain a healthy sleep pattern have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Whether an early start is for you or not, there are definitely some benefits to incorporating into your daily lifestyle. Want to commit to a 5am but dreading actually having to wake up early? Why not try a phased early rise – try setting your alarm at 7am for one week (if you usually get up later than this) and then gradually set it earlier and earlier as the weeks go by. Let us know how you get on in the comments section!

Author: Amy R

County Medical