The Benefits of Waking Up Early

Tia Spowart | Dec 18, 2017

A lot could go down for you before 5 AM, when most of the world is still in asleep in bed. There is a quiet time when only the birds are up, and the sun is just about to break into the dawn of a new day.  There is an untapped sweet chapter of hours in the day that often get glazed over.  If harnessed, these hours can literally change your life.  Spoiler alert: we are talking about increased happiness, heightened productivity, and the development of long lasting habits. There are many benefits of waking up early, and we’ve listed some on how it helps you to not only become a better goal setter but how it can also set you up for success.  We all want to be the boss of a badass life, so read on and get stuck into a juicy, big, bright life.

Before we get started, we want to point out that we agree with you when you say you don’t like waking up early. We can relate – the moment that alarm clock goes off is the moment the bed feels so much comfier and the blankets feel warmer and wrap you even tighter, basically saying “please don’t leave me”. We get it; the familiar is comfortable.  But we’re also going to tell you that it’s prime ‘you’ time that you’re missing out on, and that by waking up a few hours earlier, you can become the most productive, efficient version of yourself. These are the benefits of waking up early.

There’s something peacefully beautiful about early mornings. Your phone doesn’t ring, your inbox isn’t blowing up and no one has really awoken to ask you for your attention. Between the hours of 4:30 and 7:30 AM, you’re almost untouchable. This is just one of the many benefits of waking up early.

When else in your life do you have uninterrupted time just for yourself? Better question, why are you not cultivating this time in your life? Early mornings allow you to really make time for those goals that you’re setting for yourself and give them your undivided attention. So, use this time wisely.

When your alarm goes off, don’t ever press the snooze button- it is like giving yourself a false start.  Instead, rub the sleep from your eyes, swing your legs over your bed and onto the floor, and step up to your new day.  Greeting the morning with strength and confidence immediately sets a tone of success for your day.  Make yourself coffee, or tea, or have a big glass of water, and get your day started.  This is a prime time to write your day’s objectives, set a strong and positive mindset and acknowledge 5 things that you are grateful for.  An attitude of gratitude can boost your positivity and productivity.  Those goals you have set all of a sudden become within your reach. One key piece to this early time is to leave your emails and messages alone.  This is not anyone else’s time but your own- do not give it away. No one else needs to be up with you at 5am.


Have you wanted to start going to the gym? Register and train for a big event? Meditate? Learn a language? What about start working on your own business but you just don’t have the time?

We’ve heard you say it. You just don’t have enough hours in a day. Reality check – we’re all limited to 24 hours a day. So why do some of us get more done than others? How has Beyoncé created an empire? She has made time for what she wants, and she has had laser focus on what it takes to get herself there.  You have the same amount of time as Beyoncé: you just need to run the world like her. She understands the benefits of waking up early.

Ask yourself a tough question: are you actually running out of time in your day, or do you just not have the motivation to make it a priority? A busy schedule isn’t uncommon. In fact, I can guarantee almost every person you know has deadlines, multiple projects on the go, long commutes, and conflicting schedules. What sets each person apart is their drive to chase their goals and their desire to be more of a badass than they were the day before.  We have to maximize our time to maximize our moments in life.

If you were to record your day-to-day tasks every fifteen minutes, would you reap productivity and efficiency? Or would you see wasted time spent on your phone, standing in line to buy lunch, and indulging in too many coffee breaks? If turning your phone on silent, preparing your meal the night before, or bringing a thermos to work can save you time, why not do it? By limiting distractions by 15 minutes a day, you would have gained an additional hour each week. Still feel like you don’t have enough time?

These are the benefits of waking up early.


You’re not losing out on sleep, because you go to bed earlier. You’re not missing out on prime evening time to get your stuff done, because you’re waking up for dedicated personal time. Plus, the sleep experts say that when you go to bed earlier and wake up early, you’re giving your body a deeper, more restorative sleep.

In fact, there are numerous other benefits to this simple task. A cognitive therapy and research study conducted in 2014 identified that going to bed earlier can help rid your mind of negative thoughts. By creating the habit of sleeping earlier, getting 6-9 hours each night, your ability to handle negativity is strengthened. In addition to building a more resilient mindset, your muscle recovery is also in peak recovery stage when you are asleep between the hours of 10pm and 2am.  We all want stronger muscles, right? So, go to bed earlier and you give your body the much-needed time to rest. The benefits of waking up early will propel you to come back stronger than ever.

We’re athletes. We set goals and we work hard to smash them. Waking up early gives you a strong start to your day and allows you to set new foundations in your life while creating new habits.  When you build a house, you build it on cornerstones and a foundation that will not crumble when inevitable storms come.  Strong morning habits create a foundation for which success can be built upon.  Create a morning routine that will set you up for success. Waking up early benefits your entire day.

Studies show the benefits of being an early riser include spending time identifying long-term goals and feeling in charge of making things happen.  Leading an active life does not just mean that you are physically active: you need to lead your life with boldness and confidence.  Living a bright, big life comes with a “can-do” attitude, not one that is passive in nature.  You have the option to be RESPONSIBLE for your life.  Every early morning, make the choice to own your day like the boss that you are.  In addition to taking responsibility for the direction your day is going to take, setting intentions and goals for your day will directly increase your overall success in life. For example, if you are a student, getting a better sleep equals better grades in school.  In turn, this leads to better job opportunities and a more rewarding life. By simply going to bed an hour earlier, your rate of success can increase.

Aside from physical goals, starting your morning earlier can impact your career goals. A 2017 survey by Sleep Junkie found a correlation between the amount of sleep a person got, the time they woke up, and the yearly income they earned. Those who woke up at 5AM earned an average of US$46,000, while those who woke up at 7AM earned an average of US$35,000.

The only thing louder than your alarm is the doubtful narrative that can run in your head when your goals are slipping between your fingers. Your thoughts become your habits; your habits become your actions; and your actions dictate your life.  Choose to wake up earlier and create time in your day to set amazing intentions and big goals.  Go ahead and get after what you want, in all aspects of your life. Reap the benefits of waking up early today!