Early Rising

[Entrepreneur99]

Hello fellow fastlaners, today I am questioning the importance of waking up early.
Is this something vital to success? I ask this because I require a lot of sleep (partly because I like to lift heavy weights 5 times a week). I struggle to function on less than 9-10 hours, and prefer 11 hours. This means if i have no reason to wake early (about 3 days of the week) I will sleep until around 11am which I know a lot of people consider late. Does anybody have any advice? Have you found that waking early helps you reach your goals, or that waking late hinders them?
Thanks for reading.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[twdavis]

I have the same problem lol I dont know why, but I require more sleep than some people in order to function properly. Supposedly some people just naturally require more sleep.

I usually need at a BARE MINIMUM around 4 or 5 hours, preferably 5.

I mean in the extra 2 or 3 hours you choose to be awake, exactly what are you going to accomplish of any significance?

I really don't know how some people can function on 3 hours on a regular basis. Not only that but you're asking for health problems down the stretch.

I like to feel accomplished and badass like an OG just as much as anybody lol but c'mon...if you don't have decent health, nothing else matters (including money)

 

[Entrepreneur99]

I usually need at a BARE MINIMUM around 4 or 5 hours, preferably 5.

4-5 hours is nothing! If only I could cut down on my sleep I feel like I might get a lot more done.

 

[twdavis]

4-5 hours is nothing! If only I could cut down on my sleep I feel like I might get a lot more done.

Notice I said PREFERABLY 5 hours.



That's the realistic minimum for me and even at that amount, I still feel like a zombie during the day.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Entrepreneur99]

Well let me tell you not to feel bad for needing a mere 5 hours sleep, I actually think you should get a little more (at least 6 hours for health reasons), there is nothing wrong with getting enough sleep as long as it doesn't cut into your business day!

 

[redsfaithful]

I sleep 10 hours a day and I'm in the top 1% of American income. I also get up between noon and 2pm most days (I go to bed between 2 and 4am generally.)

I've always been like this, and it's a big part of why I made it, because I knew there was no way I could ever work a 9-5 with the way my body's internal clock functions.

People put way too much importance into getting up in the early AM or bragging about how little sleep they get. All that matters is productivity. I guarantee you I get more done in the 14 hours a day I'm awake than 99.9% of people who get 5 hours of sleep.

 

[smarty]

Waking up very early is the one thing I have never been able to practice more than a week.
I have always been sleeping very late (1am-4am) and I have maximum focus when i work after 3am.
the world around me is sleeping and all of a sudden all other thoughts and daily worries disappear at that time

I don't think waking up early it a requirement to any success, you just have to find what works best for you.
when I wake up early I usually work a few hours and am more productive at work but not in a very great mood.
when I wake up around 4PM I wake up in a super great mood (god-mood) and can work focused for a few hours.

Save yourself the guilt of waking up late just because someone else said you must wake up early.
Find what works best for you and run with it. But... be very honest with yourself and why you do what you do

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[liquidglass]

Quick note to help everyone reading this manage their sleep. You sleep in 90 minute cycles, so regardless of when you go to sleep make sure you have your wake up time set a few 90 minute cycles away from then. Basically plan on going to bed depending on when you're getting up, even if that means staying awake a little bit longer or getting up earlier. So 1.5hrs, 3hrs, 4.5hrs, 6hrs, 7.5hrs, 9hrs. add about 10-15 minutes to this to make sure you can fall asleep and you'll wake up refreshed regardless of how many cycles you got in. (even though you won't be able to last at optimal performance as long on shorter cycles)

During college I became a night person and I love my personal time at night. I've got introverted tendencies so my "alone" time is the time I recharge and focus the best. Sure I can get focused at the office but I constantly have people to talk to and employees with questions. So I block off time during the day but it isn't as productive as my night time.

However, I've found waking up earlier is optimal to success, not necessarily 5am, but 7:30 or 9am gives the most satisfied feeling for the day and I accomplish much more. But that's me, everyone is a little bit different.

 

[liquidglass]

I didn't want to make the last post a novel so here's some tips on how to change your sleep schedule that I've tested and I'm currently using to modify my schedule to even earlier.

1) If you can't wake up when the alarm clock goes off, then practice. Set your alarm 1 minute away and hop in bed in your normal bed attire, get comfortable, then hop out of bed when the alarm sounds. Do that about 10 times in a row every day for a week or two and your body will learn that it's time to get up when the alarm sounds.

2) This is a tip I developed after listening to the author of The Power of Habit at a recent conference. Broken down your habits are Cue => Habit =>Reward
It's a cycle that reinforces itself, which is why bad habits are hard to break. So give yourself a reward for waking up at a certain time. Like a piece of dark chocolate, a damn good cup of coffee, etc whatever is a reward for you. Cue (alarm clock) Habit (getting out of bed) Reward (chocolate). After 63 days you won't need to use the reward to enforce it anymore.

So you Pavlovian yourself into a better habit.

 

[Justincredible]

I agree with the others on finding what works best for you.

Early mornings are nice in my opinion because everything is much more quiet, open roads, less traffic, and this calm sense of peace while the majority is still sleeping.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[strong]

Going to sleep around 9PM works best for me, I sleep eight to nine hours.

Early mornings are nice in my opinion because everything is much more quiet, open roads, less traffic, and this calm sense of peace while the majority is still sleeping.

This.

 

[nzerinto]

I've started to wake up at 5 am every day, because I find it's when I'm the most productive, provided I get enough sleep the night before. If I go to bed at 12 or 1, which has happened a few times, the 4-5 hours I got of sleep is no where near enough to make me very productive that day, so technically it's pointless waking up at that time.

However, if I go to bed early enough, and get sufficient sleep, I find the 5-7 am time slot extremely valuable for me getting stuff done, as I find I get extremely focused. No distractions, everything quiet outside etc.

So I completely agree with @redsfaithful. If you aren't getting enough sleep and forcing yourself to wake up just because you are trying to "wake up at a certain time", it's not going to do you much good. Better to get sufficient sleep, and be "firing on all cylinders" after that good sleep - you'll just be a LOT more effective.

In regards to @liquidglass comments, I've used the "Sleep Cycle" app before which follows with this thought process - and surprisingly it does actually work - you feel a lot fresher and "awake" when you start using it and it spots your sleep cycles. I need to start using it again.

Otherwise I've heard some of the wearable wristband type devices like the Jawbone UP and Fitbit incorporate the same thing. When it's time to wake up, they simply vibrate as an alarm. Not sure how well it works in practice, but very cool concept nonetheless.

 

[RBefort]

Geezus 10-11 hours i hate myself when i wake up after that long....literally yell at myself in my mind about how i wasted 4 hours of the day. Cut it down to the min you need to be healthy for mind function and reset, and to be able to be healthy. Waking up early is kind of by choice. I have tried the miracle morning type of stuff, although not with consistent habit. I find myself much easier to work later into the night and get up later in morning (2am-930 schedule or the like) than to get up at 5 and just be dragging for 3 hours trying to b3come awake....i drank the water, watched the vids, made goals. My eyeballs just burrrrnnn. Unfortunately, my dog wakes me up at 530am no matter what, with gf getting up at 6 for work :/

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[drilonnn]

Hello fellow fastlaners, today I am questioning the importance of waking up early.
Is this something vital to success? I ask this because I require a lot of sleep (partly because I like to lift heavy weights 5 times a week). I struggle to function on less than 9-10 hours, and prefer 11 hours. This means if i have no reason to wake early (about 3 days of the week) I will sleep until around 11am which I know a lot of people consider late. Does anybody have any advice? Have you found that waking early helps you reach your goals, or that waking late hinders them?
Thanks for reading.

Well, let me tell you this. If you sleep that much, it means that you spend half of your life sleeping, so for ex. , lets say that if you live 90 years you will spend 40-45 years sleeping and that is not good i think, so you better cut some hours, sleep 8 hours instead of 11. 8 hours is enough to pass all the sleep cycles and to feel fresh when you wake up.

 

[Entrepreneur99]

Well, let me tell you this. If you sleep that much, it means that you spend half of your life sleeping, so for ex. , lets say that if you live 90 years you will spend 40-45 years sleeping and that is not good i think, so you better cut some hours, sleep 8 hours instead of 11. 8 hours is enough to pass all the sleep cycles and to feel fresh when you wake up.

That really puts things into perspective. I will definitely be cutting my sleep down to 8 hours a night, thank you!

 

[strong]

Don't forget to mention that sleeping too much can cause you health issues!
@Entrepreneur99
As far as I know 8 hours is ideal for an adult.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[merc]

I'm realizing that it actually doesn't matter when you get up as long as your productivity levels arent affected. I still have a day job so for me my most productive time would be in the morning before work around 5 am. After I get home I hit the gym then I'm drained. On my days off I don't set an alarm.

This website has helped me a ton on those late nights where I do decide to grind it out when i get home. www.sleepyti.me

 

[Entrepreneur99]

I'm realizing that it actually doesn't matter when you get up as long as your productivity levels arent affected. I still have a day job so for me my most productive time would be in the morning before work around 5 am. After I get home I hit the gym then I'm drained. On my days off I don't set an alarm.

This website has helped me a ton on those late nights where I do decide to grind it out when i get home. www.sleepyti.me

Thanks for the website, seems it can be of use. Although I wonder if there is any solid evidence that these 90 minute cycles exist, and if it does help with feeling less groggy by waking up between each cycle?

 

[Blair]

I aim for 7 hours sleep a night. Bed by 9.30pm up at 4.30am-5. Gym 7 times a week and start working at around 7am feeling 100x more away then everybody else. I used to get up at 6.30am and go to the gym at 5pm but switching my routine has done wonders for my productivity.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Crog]

i need at least 8-9 hours sleep, sometimes more if i workout much.

waking up early sucks