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The 5am Club - Worth it?

5am Club: Is it worth it?

  • Yes

  • No


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Kruiser

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Oh wow ok did not think of that at all. Do you have any link or read you would recommend on the natural chronotype and its impact? I would be interested in reading more about it. Thanks Kruiser

@Mark Fobo , Sorry for my delay in responding. Here are a few links. I haven't researched the issue of chronotype heavily and don't have a good sense of how solid the underlying research is.

Chronotypes: Discover Yours and Get the Best Sleep Ever | Tuck Sleep
Podcast #369: When — The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing | The Art of Manliness
 
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Apo

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Apo

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I'm personally more interested in less sleep overall. Imagine only needing 4 hours of sleep instead of 8, that's life changing.
I believe it's achievable, but I haven't succeeded yet.
4 hours is really tough for me I am foggy the whole day, tend to skip gym and have less focus... Really hard one..
 

458

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Hi all,

So I recently tried to change my habits and wake up at 5am while going to bed much earlier in the evening. I used my morning time to work on my project, organise my day and thoughts and work out. Results have been good although there are some drawbacks I address in my video.

Are some of you guys doing the same, what is your experience and observations about this?

View: https://youtu.be/5fX1uNEjpWw

For a few years I have been on the following schedule:
Monday Tuesday 3am
Wednesday Thursday 4am
Friday 5am
 
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luniac

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4 hours is really tough for me I am foggy the whole day, tend to skip gym and have less focus... Really hard one..

of course, same for me and most people. Our bodies and minds are not up to it.
I believe it's possible to reach that level though.
 

luniac

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Also better to get 8 hours of sleep if that results in a SOLID 16 hour day.
And if it is possible to slowly condition ur body to less sleep in a healthy manner, u can go down to 7,6,5 etc hours of sleep.

I'm currently unemployed but when I have to get a job again, i assume it'll be similar to 9-5 hours. I'd go to bed IMMEDIATELY after i come home from work. So when i wake up after however long my body requires, i will have a non fragmented amount of time to do stuff with before the job.

The less sleep u naturally require, the more time you have to play with.

This is as simple a strategy as it gets in my opinion.
 
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458

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What about the weekend? Were you catching up?

Saturday usually up at 7am and in the office from 10-5
Sunday sleep and rest day, prep for upcoming week
 

JM35

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I watched your video (enjoyed it and you sound like a good dude) and gave this a shot this morning. Didn't feel so great this morning but am still rocking right now. Going to try it all this week too. Going to either try to crank out an hour or two of work in the morning before my day job or get my workout in so that I have the extra time to work when I get home after the day job.
 

AF77

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Mark, if I haven't already welcomed you to the forum please let me say welcome now.

I can see you are ambitious and a fast learner, with a good head on your shoulders. You also have shown humility. You'll do well.

As for the 5am start I have been practising it for over 3 years. However due to family circumstances I've struggled with it for the last month. Slowly getting back on track.

Normally:

5am Wake up, Bathroom, Meditation, Coffee, Journal, Start Work at 5:30.

My intention this year is to get my latest business founded and be done with my working day by 9am. You can call it semi-retirement.

Jesus RazorCut you’re like the epitome of a Dale Carnegie training elite graduate.
I would have banned the cheeseball and moved on to the next thread.
 

MNejc

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I’m waking up every morning at 4am and I feel just fine sleeping 7 hours a night. Besides, in the morning, I don’t have brain fog or thoughts running through my head and it’s very silent, which I admire as it can be an easier way to start the day and or develop new habits.
 

Apo

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Yup, and I haven't been very successful. That said, I got up at 7:15am this morning and went to the gym before the boys left for school -- first time that's happened in years. Probably some thanks to daylight savings. We'll see if I can make it two in a row tomorrow... :)
See almost getting there buddy ;) hehe soon you ll be at 6 then 5 haha
 
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Apo

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I watched your video (enjoyed it and you sound like a good dude) and gave this a shot this morning. Didn't feel so great this morning but am still rocking right now. Going to try it all this week too. Going to either try to crank out an hour or two of work in the morning before my day job or get my workout in so that I have the extra time to work when I get home after the day job.
Oh thank you so much for your comment!
You should definitely give it a serious try, I am now at my 3rd month in a row, the key is to be super disciplined when it comes to bed time in the evening... it is the hardest for me, still working on it, but the results have been great until now!
 

Bekit

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luniac

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You might want to check this out. It's a deep look at someone who tried to need less sleep. The accompanying discussion on self-discipline is interesting.
If Self-Discipline Feels Difficult, Then You're Doing It Wrong

reads like someone who lacks willpower! lol
naw i agree detaching guilt/shame from a failure works. Meditation helps with that.

i heard of the 20 minute sleep cycles and i aint tryna go there lol, but 4 hours a day sure beats 8 hours.
I wonder how Donald Trump sleeps 4 hours.
 
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rwhyan

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I'm personally more interested in less sleep overall. Imagine only needing 4 hours of sleep instead of 8, that's life changing.
I believe it's achievable, but I haven't succeeded yet.

Are you trying polyphasic sleep?

I'm curious if anyone has had success with it.
 

Apo

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reads like someone who lacks willpower! lol
naw i agree detaching guilt/shame from a failure works. Meditation helps with that.

i heard of the 20 minute sleep cycles and i aint tryna go there lol, but 4 hours a day sure beats 8 hours.
I wonder how Donald Trump sleeps 4 hours.
Thanks I will check that, it is indeed an interesting topic!
 
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rynor

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I was actually thinking of starting a similar post, glad I searched beforehand haha.

I read the 5AM Club and have been waking up at 5AM ever since. I also use a modified version of Robin's 20/20/20 method. For the first hour (victory hour), I do the following:
  • 5:00 AM - 5:20 AM - Stretch & light movement
  • 5:20 AM - 5:40 AM - Set goals for the day
  • 5:40 AM - 6:00 AM - Read
 

Apo

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I was actually thinking of starting a similar post, glad I searched beforehand haha.

I read the 5AM Club and have been waking up at 5AM ever since. I also use a modified version of Robin's 20/20/20 method. For the first hour (victory hour), I do the following:
  • 5:00 AM - 5:20 AM - Stretch & light movement
  • 5:20 AM - 5:40 AM - Set goals for the day
  • 5:40 AM - 6:00 AM - Read
That's a great start of the day! How many extra hours do you get before work by waking up at 5am?
 

rynor

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That's a great start of the day! How many extra hours do you get before work by waking up at 5am?

I start my workday at 9am, so 4 hours. I also forgot to mention... no digital devices the entire first hour of the day as well.
 
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Apo

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I start my workday at 9am, so 4 hours. I also forgot to mention... no digital devices the entire first hour of the day as well.
Yes I should add that too however I start my job at 7.45 and need to start getting ready at 6.30 leaving me only 1h30 extra and I am currently using this time to work on my project..
 

guaava23

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After 3 months of a 5am wake up time, I have some observations and comments.
- First, my productivity has been way higher than before. I used to waste a few hours at night since I was sapped of energy after I finished my workday. Doing any work on my side business was not as productive. I’m a lot fresher and can think and plan a lot more in silence and relaxed starting at 5am.
- I read the ‘Morning Miracle’ as part of the morning routine which was inconsistent at first (just tried to wake up earlier to get more done as an experiment) And it helped put things in prospective.
- I’ve read 7 books in the past 3 months. More than all of last year.
- I sleep incredibly deep, and I am very refreshed when I wake up. I am very tired by 8 or 9 and mostly in bed by 9 or 9:30.
- I wake up at 5am every day no matter what. Even weekends. If I want more rest on the weekends, I take a nap.
- I don’t have a set wake up routine but I start with reading for 30 min or more, usually meditate after for 10 min, and then I write in my journal whatever is on my mind to get everything out, then write out what I am grateful for in life, which puts things in prospective for me. I then plan my day with 3 main things I want to accomplish and the action steps to complete them. Finally I work out or play tennis. The workout is what really gets me going for the day.

I didn’t think I would like getting up so early, but I do love it now. It is nice to be up 2 hours before anyone, and having 4 hours before my job has been a good way to feel more in control. I’ll take some time for goals and read longer at times. I also try to move and stretch a bit the first hour to get my mind and body more awake.
 

Apo

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After 3 months of a 5am wake up time, I have some observations and comments.
- First, my productivity has been way higher than before. I used to waste a few hours at night since I was sapped of energy after I finished my workday. Doing any work on my side business was not as productive. I’m a lot fresher and can think and plan a lot more in silence and relaxed starting at 5am.
- I read the ‘Morning Miracle’ as part of the morning routine which was inconsistent at first (just tried to wake up earlier to get more done as an experiment) And it helped put things in prospective.
- I’ve read 7 books in the past 3 months. More than all of last year.
- I sleep incredibly deep, and I am very refreshed when I wake up. I am very tired by 8 or 9 and mostly in bed by 9 or 9:30.
- I wake up at 5am every day no matter what. Even weekends. If I want more rest on the weekends, I take a nap.
- I don’t have a set wake up routine but I start with reading for 30 min or more, usually meditate after for 10 min, and then I write in my journal whatever is on my mind to get everything out, then write out what I am grateful for in life, which puts things in prospective for me. I then plan my day with 3 main things I want to accomplish and the action steps to complete them. Finally I work out or play tennis. The workout is what really gets me going for the day.

I didn’t think I would like getting up so early, but I do love it now. It is nice to be up 2 hours before anyone, and having 4 hours before my job has been a good way to feel more in control. I’ll take some time for goals and read longer at times. I also try to move and stretch a bit the first hour to get my mind and body more awake.

Your response is so relatable! I had the same experience! It is hard to start but once you are launched, the benefits are great! Welcome to tue club!
 
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Olimac21

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If you can manage to sleep around 7-8 hours and you need that space of time to get things done (business, exercise, meditation wise) sure go for it. But if you are getting less than that time to sleep and you feel you have nothing productive to do I would recommend just waking up a bit later.
 

guaava23

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If you can manage to sleep around 7-8 hours and you need that space of time to get things done (business, exercise, meditation wise) sure go for it. But if you are getting less than that time to sleep and you feel you have nothing productive to do I would recommend just waking up a bit later.

It’s all relative. I more energetic in the morning than late. After work I don’t feel like doing much and I just waste time. If you are better working at night, go for it. Waking up early for me works, because it’s quiet, no work calls or emails need to be answered for 4 hours, and I can pre-pave my day for success.

Several successful writers said they had a set time every day that they just sat and wrote no matter what every day. That worked for them and got them more disciplined. I feel that it’s the same way for me waking up early.
 
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BigDaddyKane

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I find that my sleep and work schedule WILDLY varies. It’s partly due to the nature of my business and the clients I work with but also has a lot to do with my personality. Often my decisions on sleep and to-do’s are based on how I feel in the moment.

For example, it’s not uncommon for me to work through the night until 3, 4 or even 5am when it’s utterly silent and wake up at 9, 10, and 11am respectively. Usually this happens when I get extremely excited about a new project or campaign I’m working on, either for myself or a client. A few weeks ago, the homies and I worked on a video project for a client between LA, Big Bear and Vegas where we were literally up shooting for like 48 hours. Loved every minute of it.

Other times, I can go on a month long streak of a more “disciplined” routine, in bed by 11pm with 5am wake ups. My general rule is 6 hours of sleep and 1 hour of exercise for every 24 hour cycle. Follow how you feel and get the work done!
 

business_man

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I once woke up at 11pm. Stayed up all night and went to work the next morning. True story yo.

Hey, I once woke up, started my work day in the morning, worked till 7pm, went to my side hustle in the night club (was helping a friend and working as a bouncer at that time for his club), got back at 3am, get on the call with a client on 4am (I was in Europe and my client was in US), chatted till arround 7 am, after that had a quick chat with my mentor till about 10 am. So I guess it was like 25 hours word day or something... Highly not recommend that :D Good thing that, besides my nigh club hustle, all the other stuff was happening at my home office, so bed was not too far away, haha :D
 
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