Fantastic post, and really inspiring (and I don’t just say that)!

I really like the glass of water trick and will try it tomorrow morning. I’m not so much “against” early rising as I am “for” late nights– something about my brain seems to just kick into high gear around this time of night (10:15) and rev like crazy until maybe 3-4-5 AM. And that happens irrespective of the amount of sleep I’ve gotten, or when my alarm is set for. But I do get a massive amount more done when I wake up early. The idea that most CEOs do it is really telling.

… I still hate breakfast food though. :)

Anyway, thanks so much for this and for posting to Twitter– I wouldn’t have found you otherwise!

Hi,
Thx for stimulated post:)
Most of the time i drink jus ,but water…Good idea:)
I am night person, ideas just run true my head then…but I do wake up early , because of the children and work…sometimes I go to run also. The early morning is just a great time of silence ,when you mind can wake up right way
Lucky me I have enough energy to do it:)
Anyway the breakfast is very important,but the chocolate..give a energy also-I just love it.And i cannot start a day without coffee:)
In Serbia they say: “Ko rano rani,dve srece grabi”-Early bird gets the worm.
Thx
Jelena

Everyone is different. Unfortunately people who don’t function well in the morning get a bad wrap. Some people are not wired to wake up at 5am and be productive. Personally, if I get up at 5am, I am ready for bed at 2pm, so I can wake up sometime in the evening, work like mad all night, fall asleep in the morning- and somehow I am back to the schedule that works best for me- the one that allows me to be more productive.

The times where I’ve been “forced” to wake up early for an extended period of time (3-4 months), I’ve been groggy, slow, and cranky. I have not been more productive nor did I get used to it. You bet as soon as I could get back to my natural patterns I jumped right on it.

So if you are wired to get up early and be happy- congratulations- corporate America favors you and likely very cooperative and persistent. But don’t fool yourself into believing your way is the only way.

To my fellow night owls- don’t lose heart, you are not lazy. You are likely have a higher IQ and are more creative.

Absolutely outstanding article. I love being up early and hate it on days when I get out of bed late.

You obviously have no school aged children, no longer have them, or you hand off their care to someone else. Your post would have been more enlightening if you had taken this factor into consideration, and wouldn’t have perpetuated the idea that success is for people without kids, with a spouse at home, for post-midlifers or those with enough income to hire a nanny!

Funny, I stay up late and work late and I feel the same way about many of the things on your list!

Loved the tip about the glass of water… it seems to make the difference for me….

Thank you, Peter. Huh. I read this post in January, but when I read it just now, it seems I missed some points. Specifically, the “how”. I bet I read it then and said, “Right, I agree. Get up earlier.” And moved on.

I *like* the idea of drinking the big glass of water before turning off the alarm. I tend to cramp during racing, I’m sure this will certainly help. I’m also having problems with consistentcy in my workouts. I *know* what I *need* to do, but I’m clearly averting the obvious.

I have never heard that drinking a glass of water when your alarm goes off would help you wake up. I will have to try this out tomorrow. I am working on getting myself up early so that I can knock out some workouts.

Thank you for reposting this, I took all of your advice and I feel like a rockstar this morning. The glass of water by the alarm clock is genius.

Thanks again,

Bracken Fields

I have no problem getting up early but my husband does. He is a night owel. I just want to know how to get him to start going to bed early and getting up early!

Peter, love this post. I now do bootcamp at 6:00am 3-4 days a week and even though it’s hell getting up at 5:00am, in the dark and cold, there is NO better feeling than that 7:00am cup of coffee and the endorphin rush that comes from having worked your ass (quite literally) off. And you know that it’s done for the day. No excuses needed.

Thanks Peter and Great Advice — for the New Year and Always. Appreciate you always wiling to share your wisdom, your success and your faults — all for our benefit. Best, MB

You got an honest-to-goodness LOL from me on #4 of “how”. :)

Great post. I’ve been trying to get on a better sleeping schedule again lately and you have some good tips here. When I am up extra early, it seems my work day goes so much smoother.

seriously, how do you guys with kids, long work days, exercise routines, etc get to bed by 9, 10, 10:30 pm?? if i could figure that out, i would love to wake up an hour so earlier than my current 6am wake up.

You offer some very helpful tips for those who want what the morning world has to offer, and for those who look up to CEOs and want to emulate their behavior. I, on the other hand, after struggling against my night owl nature for years, finally decided to go with what feels right for me. Getting up before 11am is unheard of for me, but 11 is perfectly sufficient for healthy eating, errand running, exercise, phone calls, etc., but, I also don’t work a 9-5 job. I’m a successful musician (not a millionaire, but able to pay my bills, travel, go out to eat when I want, and save money), and every song I’ve ever written has come to me in the middle of the night. I also have the advantage of being able to promote and send out emails whenever I want, so I do much of my work at night. I’m not sure what it is about the creative mind, but every artist I know creates in the wee hours of the morning. So while you were riding through Central Park at 3:30, I was likely writing a song that is now being performed to my audiences. If I’d listened to all the advice on waking early and all the dreaded judgment about sleeping in, I may never have created the music that I have. I understand that what you’re offering is assistance to those who want to learn how to get up earlier–and that’s great. I just wish our culture also supported night owls more & that there were more columns on how to be a successful night owl. I’ve found a way to do it, so, night owls, don’t be discouraged if you find that after years of trying, you still can’t seem to adjust to being up über early or pop right out of bed bright-eyed and bushy-tailed–it might just mean that you need to find a career that is better suited to your sleep/creative needs.

Right, that’s it, tomorrow I shall be up at 3.30am, I shall probably be tired all day but at least I shall fall asleep early tomorrow evening ready for my new routine. Cant wait to view the sunrise.

I believe is matter of how much you make in one day, not the time of get up! I get up around 10 a.m. and until 5 p.m. i make 500 – 800 dollars per day because it’s a same thing if you work late, i work until 2 or 3 a.m. because it’s lot of silence!

Definitely agree! (Found this post again today after you posted it to FB.) When the weather was nice, I was a 4am walker around a certain path in town. Really helped being alone with my thoughts while getting some kinetic workout. Today, I was up at 3:45 to hit the gym at 4, so I can concentrate on what I want to accomplish without others being around talking, etc.

I could get up at 5 and do the same thing, but the extra time to let things wake up and start the mind working is extremely valuable.

I’m up at 5AM and LOVE my morning time when I KNOW there will be fewer emails and no calls and the world still seems serene:)

As a fellow early-riser (4:30am), I can relate to your entire perspective, and also really appreciate the tips. All the best to you for 2013. JIM

A lot of great info in here Peter, and I agree with much of it. But please keep in mind that not all of us masters (or mistresses) of the universe are single, without children, living alone with only pets. “Feeding something,” like say a hungry baby who wakes up at 5:30 means the morning is no longer yours. And as much as I love getting into the office early, these days my commute can’t start until the kids are safely in school.

After that, let the world-changing begin!

I highly recommend anyone curious about night owls versus early birds and sleep in general to read the book “Internal Time” — we really are hard wired to be most alert and physically capable at different times of the day, and it is wildly different among individuals. For some, the early morning is a time of regeneration and productivity. For others, it is a time of lows across the board.

you have some good ideas here, thanks!

I was attracted to the headline, but you lost me at getting up at 3am for your exercise program. To “beat the crowd,” huh? That is pure CRAZYTOWNS. It sounds like you’re on coke.

I think you’re doing the right thing. lots of families don’t have that, and i’m sure you’re daughter loves you very much