Waking up at 5 am has become a popular trend with many successful people swearing on its life-changing benefits. On the other hand, others argue that a 5 am-call might not be for everyone and can lead to issues like sleep deprivation and low energy. So should you or should you not wake up at 5 am? Let’s weigh the pros and cons and help you decide for yourself.
The Pros of Waking Up at 5 am
If you’ve read Robin Sharma’s “The 5 AM Club”, you’ve probably discovered plenty of advantages to getting up early. The phrase “Own your morning, elevate your life” appears several times throughout the book. And we might agree with that part because of the following advantages of waking up as early as 5 a.m.:
1. Increased Productivity
Rising early allows you to start your day with a head start, providing uninterrupted time for focused work and personal development before the world wakes up. An article by The Sleep Advisor magazine also suggests that those who wake up as early as 5 am tend to be more productive as their minds are fresher and they have fewer distractions. A focused time also results in more work being completed in a shorter period of time, implying increased productivity.
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2. More Time for Self-care
Self-care is essential for a fresh and energized start to the day and to temporarily relieve all of your stresses. It clears your mind and gives you a physical and mental energy boost. Self-care can take any form, whether it is a slow morning with skin care, your favorite breakfast, and yoga, or an energized one with a half-hour intense workout. Whatever you call self-care, if you get up at 5 a.m., you have more time for it.
3. Reduced Distractions
Since most of the world is asleep early at 5 am, you have fewer distractions if you wake up at that time of the day. This could be especially useful for busy parents who need some quiet time to themselves with few distractions. Because kids do not usually wake up that early, you can use that time to do your work or take care of your mental health. Even if you don’t have kids and live alone, waking up early means lesser noise outside and just a calming environment, in general, to enable you to do your most important work hyper-focused.
4. Improved Sleep Quality
Early risers usually have a set routine and a good sleeping schedule which improves their sleep quality and overall health. You can improve your sleep quality even more if you combine this good habit with others such as less social media usage at the start and end of the day.
5. Better Work-life balance
Having more time for yourself and being more productive at the start of the day means having more time for your family as well. Thus, waking up at 5 am can help you strike the perfect work-life balance.
The Cons of Waking Up at 5 am
While we believe that waking up early is the best habit anyone can have, we also believe that waking up at 5 a.m. may not be for everyone. Consider those who work night shifts. They simply cannot wake up at 5 a.m. after going to bed an hour earlier. Other than that, there are some challenges to getting up that early for some people.
1. Sleep Deprivation
If you are unable to go to bed on time, waking up at 5 am can leave you sleep-deprived, negatively impacting your cognitive abilities and overall well-being. So, if you can’t get to bed by 10 p.m. for some reason, you could get an extra hour of sleep and wake up at 6 a.m. instead.
2. Unsustainable for Night owls
It has been scientifically determined that not everyone has the same circadian rhythms. While some people feel energized in the mornings, others feel more productive at night. It is not always under their control and has something to do with their genetic makeup. For night owls, thus, waking up at 5 am is an unsustainable practice.
3. Potential Burnout
If you are constantly pushing yourself to wake up at 5 am without proper sleep, you will eventually lose your productivity and become burned out. Therefore, instead of pushing yourself too hard, allow yourself one or two days per week to take it easy.
The Bottom Line
While getting up at 5 a.m. has its advantages, it may not be for everyone. Knowing what type of person you are, what your sleep pattern and most productive hours are, and setting your schedule accordingly is the best way to enjoy the benefits of waking up early and having a good routine. Get a good seven and a half hours of sleep, limit your digital usage at the start and end of the day, and be disciplined.
