Early mornings are quiet and the world is at a halt, making the time yours. Successful people use these early hours to exercise, catch up on the news, read, and have breakfast.
Some experts do argue that humans tend to be more productive in the wee early hours of the morning, simply because there are fewer distractions at those times. That's the sentiment Tim Cook has shared in the past to explain his own early-rising habit.
Almost without exception, successful people start their day early. Many say they get up between 5 am and 6 am. Rising early is particularly great for those who work from home or have small children, because they can accomplish work tasks without interruption.
You'll never be late
Wake up at 5am, however, and you'll suddenly have time to get up to date on current affairs, thoroughly wash and groom yourself and make a hearty – not to mention healthy – breakfast. And, with your pace significantly more leisurely, you'll also never be late to work.
A 2017 Harvard study found that it doesn't matter whether you sleep early and wake up early or vice versa. The most important thing is that you're consistent about your schedule. Researchers traced the sleeping habits of 61 students for about a month and correlated those habits with their academic performance.
One of the most common challenges to productivity, Dr. Davis says, is that people booby trap their offices with distractions: Desk clutter, email pop-ups, cellphone, Facebook, news feeds. “By waking up at 4 a.m., they've essentially wiped a lot of those distractions off their plate.
Some experts say yes. For starters, getting up earlier can improve confidence, Snowden says, because it can feel like an accomplishment. And there's something to be said for not constantly feeling like you're in a rush, which only elevates stress levels and negatively impacts mental health.
Waking up at 5 a.m. can be very beneficial, says Dr. Anisha Patel-Dunn, a psychiatrist and chief medical officer of LifeStance Health, an outpatient mental health company.
Nearly two-thirds of successful CEOs say they wake up at 6 a.m. or earlier: 'It's just a matter of establishing routine' Tom Huddleston Jr. You don't have to wake up early to be successful just because someone like Apple CEO Tim Cook is up at 3:45 a.m.
They also wake up very early. In my work with famous entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 CEOs and billionaires, I have seen that getting up early has so many benefits that it is no wonder that most of the world's most successful business leaders get up much earlier than the rest of the world.
Sleep deprivation is no joke. Ever moderate fatigue can hit you as hard as alcohol intoxication, according to a helpful chart from the Harvard Business Review. However, many top executives and leaders seem to swear by skimping on shut eye.
The late thirties or early forties
As you move on to your late thirties or early forties, you develop greater contacts, a better reputation and a wider experience in the industry, so you'd be in a better position to figure out what would work best and what wouldn't.
People who wake up early are more in sync with the traditional corporate schedule and tend to have more proactive personalities, which might lead to better grades in school or higher wages on the job.
7AM: Wake-up call
After a restful 7 hours, Bill awakes rearing to go. This was easy enough, as 7 hours is my personal ideal number of hours for sleep. Who knew Bill and I were so alike?
If you wake up at 6am, to get 7-9 hours of sleep you should be going to bed between 9pm and 11pm.
Pulling an all-nighter means engaging in an activity during sleep time that makes you catch little or no sleep for up to 24 hours. So if you're usually asleep from 10 pm to 6 am, you'll remain awake during an all-nighter throughout this time frame.
Waking up at 4:00 am might be great for your to-do list, but if it's causing you to lose out on sleep, it's going to do more harm than good. Consistent too-early wake-up times are often a sign that something is awry, whether it's your lifestyle or a sleep disorder.
The best time to wake up in the morning is between 6:30 am to 7. Waking up early is considered to be one of the healthiest morning habits that shape the rest of your day.
Six hours of sleep per night is not enough: Experts recommend seven to eight hours. Sleep deprivation can cause problems with memory, concentration, behavior, problem-solving, and decision-making.
According to a new study, the best time to sleep is from 10pm to 4am. People going to bed before 10 or after 11 are at greater risk for heart disease, compared to the average person. In this timeframe people have a 25-percent lower chance of developing heart disease than those who fall asleep after midnight.
If you wake up early feeling alert, should you just get up? It depends how early it is. If it is 3am, you should do your best to get back to sleep because if you don't, you're likely to feel tired and irritable later.