For over two years I’ve been waking up at 5 AM every day and it has completely transformed my life. I’ve never felt more motivated, energized and productive.
In this post, I’ll be sharing exactly why I wake up at 5 AM every day and give you some actionable tips if you’re thinking of becoming an early riser too!
Waking up at 5 AM is Hard
Let’s face it, waking up at 5 AM is hard. Especially for those of us who aren’t morning people.
The question is, what makes someone a morning person vs a night person?
This isn’t an easy question to answer. In fact, there’s an ongoing debate on whether people are inherently predisposed to be morning or night people, or if their habits mold them into one or the other. Research indicates that it’s a little bit of both.
Some people are genetically predisposed to be more alert and energetic in the morning, while others come alive in the evening. These differences are rooted in our internal clocks, known as circadian rhythms.
However our genetics are only part of the equation. Our lifestyle choices and habits are equally significant in determining whether we feel our best in the morning or at night.
For instance, if you consistently wake up early for work or school, your body may adjust to that schedule, gradually turning you into more of a morning person. On the flip side, if your job or lifestyle allows for late nights and sleeping in, you might naturally lean towards being a night owl.
Should Everyone Wake Up at 5 AM?
They say the early bird catches the worm, but the night owl catches the mouse.
What does this mean?
It means that although there’s a societal belief that being a morning person makes you more successful and productive, it’s not necessarily true.
Morning people simply feel their best when they go to bed early and wake up early. Night people are the opposite. So while early birds may catch the worm, night owls catch the mice. Get it?
The question is, should these self proclaimed night owls try and wake up early anyway?
Waking up at 5 AM as a Night Owl
To put it simply, it depends.
If you’re sacrificing precious sleep to force yourself out of bed at the crack of dawn, it may be doing more harm than good. After all, sleep is crucial for physical and mental well-being. If waking up at 5 AM means you’re groggy and irritable all day, it might not be worth it.
However, if you can commit to going to bed early, then waking up at 5 AM is great for your emotional, mental and physical health. And the claims are true too, it may help you be more productive and successful. After all, waking up early will give you a chance to tackle your to-do list, hit the gym, meditate, or have a leisurely breakfast, all before the rest of the world starts to stir.
Why Do I Wake Up at 5 AM?
If you ask a group of early risers why they wake up at 5 AM, you’ll likely get the following answers:
- Each day begins on your own terms
- It increases your confidence
- You have time for exercise
- It enhances your sleep quality
- It improves your discipline
- You experience less stress and anxiety in the mornings
And my reason for waking up at 5 AM is no different.
To show you why I wake up at 5 AM, I’ll walk you through my morning routine.
My 5 AM Morning Routine
When I wake up in the morning I first do the normal, human, morning tasks. I brush my teeth, make my bed and wash my face.
After that I wander into my kitchen (keep in mind that I’m still half asleep at this point) and start boiling hot water for my coffee. I spend this time putting away my dishes and tidying up from the night before. Cleaning is a mindless, meditative task for me and I find that getting my body moving in this way helps wake my mind up too. Plus, it gives me a sense of accomplishment right away.
After I prepare my coffee and drink some water, I sit down at my computer and I start to write. In fact, it’s 5:20 AM as we speak!
I write for about an hour and then it’s time to exercise. I either go to a yoga class, on a run or to the gym to lift weights.
After my workout, I go home and shower, eat a quick breakfast and head to work for the day.
And I do all this by 8:30 AM.
Now I know that I just made waking up at 5 AM and getting to the gym sound like a walk in the park. But the unfortunate reality is, it’s not. If it was easy, everyone would do it. But it is possible with the right techniques!
Here are 10 tips for waking up earlier.
10 Tips to Wake Up at 5 AM
Ready to reclaim your mornings?
Below are 10 tips to help you start waking up at 5 AM.
1. Have a Purpose
Having a purpose is key when it comes to waking up at 5 AM. After all, without a clear reason to get out of bed, hitting that snooze button becomes all too tempting, doesn’t it?
For me, my purpose revolves around two things: my blog and exercising.
I work an office job so getting my body moving before settling into my desk chair for the day is super important. If I don’t, I find that I get very antsy halfway through the day.
It’s important to note that I don’t just tell myself, “I’ll exercise in the morning.” No, it’s about being specific. The night before, I plan out exactly what I’m going to do, be it a yoga class or a morning run. This way, I don’t have to make bleary-eyed decisions when my alarm goes off.
My blog is another big motivator for my early mornings. You see, after spending a good 8 hours in front of a computer screen at my office job, the last thing I want is more screen time after work. Waking up at 5 AM is my way of snagging some quality time for writing. If I don’t wake up at 5, I won’t write that day.
2. Prepare the Night Before
Preparing as much as you can the night before will make a huge difference in your state of mind come morning time.
If you know that the moment you wake up, you’ll have a laundry list of decisions to make and things to do, you’ll never want to get out from under those covers. However, if you wake up to find your gym clothes neatly laid out, your gym bag packed, and your lunch ready, the thought of getting out of bed won’t feel so burdensome. You’ll wake up knowing that everything is already in place for a great, productive morning.
Plus, waking up early is a positive feedback loop – the more good mornings you have, the easier it will be to wake up early!
3. Have an Accountability Partner
Having an accountability partner can be a game changer if you want to start waking up at 5 AM.
Your accountability partner can take many forms. It can be as simple as telling a friend or family member of your goal to wake up early so that you have someone to talk to. Or, if your goal is to go to the gym in the morning, you can enlist a workout buddy who shares the same goal. Knowing that your workout buddy is waiting at the gym can be just the push you need to get out of bed, even if you’re not feeling it that day. You can even go as far as hiring a personal trainer in the morning. If you miss a training session, it’ll cost you.
4. Stay Consistent on Weekends
Let’s be honest, if you’re going to bed at midnight on Sunday night there’s no way you’ll be up at 5 AM on Monday. And if you don’t wake up at 5 AM on Monday, what’s stopping you from sleeping in on Tuesday and Wednesday too?
That’s why it’s so important to have a consistent sleep schedule, regardless of whether it’s a weekday or a weeknight. So whether it’s Monday night or Sunday night, try to go to bed before 10:30 PM.
Of course this isn’t always possible, and your 5 AM wake up call shouldn’t come at the expense of enjoying a memorable night out every one and a while. But on the weeknights where you could either go to bed early or stay up until 2 AM watching movies, always go to bed early.
Keeping a consistent sleep schedule will make it so much easier to wake up early. In fact, my sleep schedule is so consistent that I often find myself waking up at 5AM on a Saturday morning without even setting an alarm! It just takes time and consistency.
5. Follow the 10-3-2-1-0 Formula
When it comes to waking up early, nothing is as important as falling asleep early. But falling asleep is sometimes easier said than done. If you struggle with falling asleep, there may be a simple solution – following the 10-3-2-1-0 formula.
The 10-3-2-1-0 formula is a sleep guideline that suggests specific actions be taken in the hours leading up to bedtime to improve sleep quality.
It goes like this:
- 10 hours before bed: No more caffeine
- 3 hours before bed: No more food or alcohol
- 2 hours before bed: No more work
- 1 hour before bed: No more screen time
- 0: The number of times you hit the snooze button in the morning
Let’s get into the importance of each bullet point.
10 Hours Before Bed: No More Caffeine
Most of us know that we should avoid caffeine before bed. But 10 hours before? That may sound a bit excessive.
What many people don’t know is that caffeine has a half life of about 3-7 hours for most people. This means that it takes this amount of time for your body to process half of the caffeine you’ve consumed.
For example, if you have a cup of coffee containing 100 milligrams of caffeine, after 3 to 7 hours, you’ll still have about 50 milligrams of caffeine in your system. After another 3 to 7 hours, your body will have metabolized half of that remaining caffeine, leaving you with approximately 25 milligrams, and so on.
While everyone’s body processes caffeine differently, with some people tolerating it better than others, giving yourself a 10 hour caffeine free buffer before bed ensures that you aren’t going to bed with caffeine in your system. That way, you can have the most restful sleep and not have trouble falling asleep either.
3 Hours Before Bed: No More Food or Alcohol
Next up is food and alcohol.
For the best quality sleep, avoid food and alcohol at least 3 hours before bed.
Late-night eating can cause discomfort and indigestion. When you eat a heavy or spicy meal close to bedtime, your body is busy digesting when it should be winding down. This not only disrupts your body’s natural relaxation process but can also cause acid reflux, making it incredibly difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position.
Meanwhile, alcohol, often seen as a nightcap, can seriously disrupt your sleep cycle. While it might make you feel drowsy initially, alcohol interferes with the deep, restorative stages of sleep which can leave you feeling groggy and unrested in the morning. Not great if you’re trying to be up at 5 AM!
2 Hours Before Bed: No More Work
Avoiding work two hours before bed is also crucial for a good night’s sleep.
Our bodies operate on a natural rhythm, and those precious two hours are vital for winding down. When you spend this time working instead, your mind is active and alert, making it challenging to transition into a state of relaxation afterwards.
Working late into the night can also lead to heightened stress levels, especially if your work involves dealing with deadlines or challenging projects. If your mind is buzzing with work-related thoughts, it’ll make it nearly impossible to switch off.
And let’s not forget that if you’re working from home, chances are you’re staring at a screen. This screen time can significantly disrupt your ability to fall asleep, a topic we’ll delve into more in the next section!
1 Hour Before Bed: No More Screen Time
It’s not just work related computer tasks that you should avoid before bed. You should avoid all screens at least an hour before going to sleep.
You might wonder how something as seemingly harmless as checking your phone or working on your laptop can affect your sleep. The culprit here is the blue light emitted by your electronic devices.
This artificial light messes with your circadian rhythm, suppressing melatonin production—the hormone responsible for regulating sleep. When you stare at a screen before bed, it essentially tricks your brain into thinking that it’s daytime, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
No More Snooze Button
I used to be that person who would set 10 alarms every morning. One at 7:30 AM, another at 7:35 AM, and so on. It felt like a safety net, a fail-proof way to ensure I’d never oversleep. Little did I know, this habit only made waking up on time so much more difficult.
I can’t even tell you how many times I snoozed through all of my alarms, convincing myself that there would be another one to wake me up.
However, when I committed to waking up at 5 AM every morning, I also committed to just one alarm. By setting just one alarm, it forces you to wake up at that exact moment. No more excuses, no more relying on the false security of multiple alarms.
6. Feed Your Pet at 5 AM
There’s nothing like the sound of a dog barking or a cat purring to get you out of bed. So, if you have a pet, feeding it at 5 AM is a great way to ensure that you’re consistently waking up at that time.
Pets have an incredible internal clock and a knack for routines. They don’t care if it’s Monday or Saturday; at 5 AM it’s breakfast time, and they’re hungry.
By feeding your pet at 5 AM they’ll become your own personal, furry alarm clock!
7. Keep a Sleep Journal
When I made the decision to start waking up at 5 AM, I approached it as a kind of personal experiment. My goal was to optimize my night time routine so that waking up felt as easy as possible.
I did this by following a basic version of the scientific method. I know, so brainy. By making observations about my sleep, conducting “research”, making hypotheses and then experimenting, I was able to really nail down what my optimal night time routine looks like.
The first step is to keep a sleep journal. In this sleep journal you want to jot down your bedtime, wake-up time, and any sleep disturbances you experienced. But it’s not just about the hours you spend in bed. Your journal is the place to note down your daily routines leading up to bedtime, including what you eat, drink, and your activities.
The beauty of a sleep journal lies in its ability to uncover patterns. By meticulously tracking your sleep habits and daily routines, you might notice correlations between certain activities and the quality of your sleep. For instance, you might find that on days when you exercise in the evening, you sleep more soundly. Or, you might discover that a heavy meal close to bedtime disrupts your sleep.
By tracking your sleep patterns and daily routines in a journal you can identify factors that may be affecting your sleep quality and make adjustments as needed.
8. Don’t Work, Watch TV or Read in Bed
Remember how I was saying that pets have strong routines? Well, they’re not the only ones. We do too!
Creating a strict association between your bed and sleep helps condition your brain and create a routine. When you reserve your bed solely for sleeping, your mind learns that once you’re in bed, it’s time to wind down and rest. Introducing activities like reading, watching TV, or working blurs this boundary, confusing your brain about the purpose of the space.
9. Limit Naps
When I was in college I took so many naps. And guess what? I was always tired.
This is because although napping promises a quick energy boost, in reality, it’s like borrowing energy from tomorrow.
The problem with napping, especially if you’re aiming for that early morning wake-up call, is that it disrupts your natural sleep-wake cycle. Even a short nap can interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night. It throws off your body’s internal clock, confusing it about when it’s time to wake up and when it’s time to sleep. This confusion can translate into difficulty falling asleep at night, leading to a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation.
So as tempting as that afternoon nap might be, it’s a double-edged sword, especially when your goal is to wake up at 5 AM.
10. Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment
And last but not least, don’t underestimate the power of creating a comfortable sleep environment!
I recommend investing in a quality mattress and pillows, opting for soft, warm lighting in the evening, investing in some blackout curtains and even trying out an alarm that gradually brightens to mimic a natural sunrise. Don’t forget to maintain a clutter-free and organized bedroom too! A tidy space promotes a sense of calm, reducing potential stressors that might keep you awake.
Just Give it a Shot!
So, there you have it – 10 tips to help you join the 5 AM club.
If you’ve been telling yourself that you want to start waking up at 5 AM every day, now’s your chance. Even if it feels impossible, remember that things turn into habits the more you do them. Even if waking up at 5 AM seems impossible now, it might just feel like second nature a year from now. It’s all about trying out different tricks and finding what works for you.
Are you part of the 5 AM club? Let me know in the comments below!
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