
Here’s the thing: society thinks that waking up early means you are hardworking and waking up late means you are lazy. If you are somewhat of a reader, you have probably heard of Robin Sharma’s popular productivity book, The 5 AM Club. The book glorifies this popular misconception — and how! Google it for yourself and see.
But I am not here to blame the book or the author.
The belief that early risers are superior to/more successful than those who sleep in has existed since, well, forever. Regardless, it is not true. Here are some reasons why:
1. Everyone is not a morning person. Not everyone has the same chronotype, which is why we have three popular categories of people: early birds or morning larks, hummingbirds or third birds, and night owls. The image below, taken from Daniel H. Pink’s book When, shows how each chronotype is distinct from the other. Note that you may not fit into any of these categories, and that is completely OKAY!
2. Lying in bed for eight to nine hours does not mean one is sleeping for eight to nine hours. Many people regularly deal with issues like poor sleep quality due to sleeping disorders like insomnia and somniloquy or sleep talking. (I live with insomnia and somniloquy, and they are the primary reasons why I have fitful or disturbed sleep and therefore, cannot wake up early in the morning.)
3. Some of us need more sleep than others. Not every adult is at their functional best on the standard 7 hours of sleep. Sleep requirements vary from person to person. Also, did you know women need more sleep than men? This isn’t my opinion, it’s science.
4. People with chronic illnesses and neurodivergent folks tend to need more sleep to cope with their conditions. I know this because of my lived experience with anxiety and depression, as well as the lived experience of friends and online strangers with various conditions like ADHD, autism, etc.
5. Dysania or sleep inertia exists.
Honestly, I am sure there are many more reasons. This is not a comprehensive list.
Let’s get two things straight: waking up early is not a badge of honor and waking up late doesn’t make you lazy.
This post is a part of The Normal Project.
Recommended Links:
18 people who prove you don’t have to wake up incredibly early to be successful: https://www.businessinsider.com/successful-people-who-wake-up-late-2017-6
Why the 5 a.m. Club is a Bad Idea: https://medium.com/@CraigBallantyne/why-the-5-a-m-club-is-a-bad-idea-f7514734f87f
How Your Chronotype Affects Your Productivity: https://theeverygirl.com/chronotype-productivity/
#RedefineNormalToday – Everyone Has Different Energy Levels: https://www.mahevashmuses.com/the-normal-project/redefinenormaltoday-everyone-has-different-energy-levels/