10 Benefits of Waking Up Early (Even When You Don't Want to)

A woman in bed wakes up early with her arms outstretched.

Did you hit snooze again this morning? Don't be hard on yourself because you aren't alone. Either your body needs more sleep, or you're a night owl who is wired to sleep late. According to UCLA Health, 30% of the population is made up of night owls, also known as the wolf chronotype.(1)


An early start does, however, give you time to get more done. Plus, there are other benefits to waking up early. This article explores each one and also offers advice for night owls who grapple with an early wake-up time.

Key Takeaways

  • Waking up early resets your internal clock through morning light exposure, which may improve sleep quality, physical and mental health and cognitive performance.

  • Rising early, coupled with adequate sleep, may reduce stress, give you more personal time and enhance productivity.

  • Night owls can adapt to an earlier wake-up schedule gradually. However, working with their natural biological programming may prove more effective in improving productivity and health overall.

Table of Contents

Better Sleep

Waking up early can help improve sleep. Humans were built to go to sleep when darkness rolls in. This has held true until we invented artificial light, and our way of life began to change. Our biological programming makes it natural to feel sleepy at night and alert during the day.


Darkness triggers your pineal gland to release melatonin, the sleep hormone, which signals your body that it's time to unwind for bed. Melatonin helps regulate the circadian rhythm, your sleep-wake cycle that has a 24-hour rhythm.


Exposure to morning sunlight is like hitting the reset button on your internal clock. It helps you fall asleep faster at night – 22 minutes earlier, to be exact, according to WebMD.(2) A consistent sleep schedule regulates your circadian rhythm, making it easier to drift off and wake up from adequate sleep.


Knowing that you need to wake early helps you achieve your desired wake-up time. For extra motivation, sleeping when most people do makes it less likely that your shuteye will be disturbed.

Improved Physical Health

Note that rising early is only beneficial when paired with enough sleep. Good sleep quality has many physical health benefits.


Generally, early risers find it easier to establish consistent sleep patterns, waking up and falling asleep at the same time, thereby avoiding sleep debt. This leaves them at a lower risk for heart disease and high blood pressure.


Quality sleep also boosts the immune system. As you sleep, your body carries out multiple repair processes. Inadequate sleep interferes with your body's recovery.


Good sleep also helps with weight management. Sleep-deprived people tend to gain weight easily, and their body's ability to manage blood sugar levels is compromised. Additionally, sleep deprivation can lead to a craving for foods high in carbohydrates.

Improved Mental Health

Did you know that rising early lowers your risk of depression? According to Harvard Health Publishing, waking up an hour earlier decreases your risk of depression by 23%.(3) Early risers can get early morning sun exposure, which also regulates their body's production of serotonin, also known as the "happy hormone."


Do you suffer from anxiety or mood disorders? Maintaining a regular sleep schedule, along with exposure to natural light, helps align your circadian rhythm, which regulates mood and anxiety levels. This combination helps reduce nighttime panic attacks and calms a racing brain.

Improved Performance

A woman sitting on a table with her hands clasped in front of her. There is an open laptop and a cup of coffee on the desk.

Early birds or those with the lion chronotype tend to be more focused in the morning. (They're on to something here.) Think of waking up early as a head start. It isn't just about the additional hours but their quality.


There are fewer distractions from others in the early morning. You're more focused and capable of decision-making, and your planning abilities are at their peak. It's because the prefrontal cortex, a part of your brain that's responsible for most of your cognitive skills, is most active in the morning.


There's also a psychological aspect. Completing tasks before others gives people a momentum that lasts throughout the day. This sense of accomplishment triggers the release of dopamine (the feel-good hormone), which helps motivate early risers for other tasks that come later on.


The Harvard Business Review conducted an interview with Christoph Randler, a biology professor. His study found that people who wake up early tend to be more proactive. He correlated this with better job performance and compensation, as well as better career success, in general.(4)

You Are on Schedule

An early wake-up time means you have enough time to prepare for the day ahead. You're less likely to be late for work, school or appointments.


Rushing will only stress you out, affecting your entire day and making it more difficult to wind down at night.

Time to Work Out

Early rising gives you more time to exercise. Exercising regularly helps improve sleep quality, reduce stress and boost energy levels while awake.


Exercising later in the day (or night) can sometimes interfere with your ability to fall asleep. You can work out in the afternoon or early evening if you don’t like morning workouts, but do so at least four hours before bedtime and avoid high-intensity exercise.


Engage in aerobic exercises, stretching, yoga or strength training instead. Otherwise, you might find yourself unable to fall asleep at night.

Time to Eat Breakfast

You fast for seven to nine hours while you sleep, during which the body works to maintain your blood glucose levels. That's why breakfast is an essential meal because it replenishes nutrients and kickstarts your metabolism.


Rising early means you have enough time to eat a well-balanced breakfast that includes protein, fiber, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. Avoid sugary foods because they can lead to energy crashes later in the day. Eat a healthy breakfast of eggs, whole-grain toast and avocado instead of a sweet pastry.


Remember that meal timing matters when it comes to improving sleep. Eating breakfast keeps you in sync with your body's natural circadian rhythms. Your body has more time to digest and use nutrients more efficiently. Plus, a morning meal helps regulate your appetite throughout the day.

Time for You Time

Waking up early means more free time for yourself. Early morning is a quiet and peaceful time of the day – ideal for meditation, journaling, morning exercise and other activities that provide an overall sense of wellness.


Rising to an earlier alarm means fewer distractions. A morning routine gives you time to greet the day with a sense of calm and focus.

More Time to Get Things Done

Do you feel like you're always rushing to finish your to-do list? Early rising is one solution.


An earlier wake time benefits your punctuality, improves performance, and enhances both your physical and mental health. All these benefits combined allow you to complete tasks more efficiently. You're more motivated to finish everything you need to without having to rush or panic.

Less Time in Traffic

Have you ever felt down in the dumps after time spent in gridlock? You're not imagining things because traffic can negatively affect your mental health.


A UC Berkeley study found that an additional 10 minutes spent commuting increased the likelihood of screening positively for depression by 0.5%. Furthermore, if those 10 minutes were spent on congested roads, depressive symptoms increased by 0.8%.(5)


Waking up early means you avoid rush hour and get to your destination relaxed and in good spirits.

What if I'm a Night Owl?

A woman with a night owl chronotype sitting on her desk and working in the evening.

There are two options if you are a night owl. You can shift to an earlier sleep schedule or adapt your activities to your body clock's natural rhythm.


The truth is, shifting to a new sleep schedule isn't easy, and it certainly won't happen overnight.


Here are some tips to get you started:


  • A person's sleep schedule preference varies. Identify your goal, then gradually shift your wake-up and sleep time 15 minutes earlier every few days.

  • Expose yourself to morning light by taking a morning walk. Remember that bright light exposure is like resetting your internal clock.

  • Avoid looking at screens in the evening. The blue light from gadgets tricks your body into thinking it's time to be alert. If you must look at your screen, wear blue-light blocking glasses.

  • Establish a relaxing bedtime routine that includes writing in your sleep journal, meditation, a warm bath or light reading.

  • Eating an early breakfast helps you wake up earlier, as meal timing influences when you feel sleepy or awake. (Don't forget to eat lunch and dinner, too.)

  • Avoid caffeine too close to bedtime, including soda and chocolate.

  • Once you've established a sleep-wake schedule, stick to it even on weekends.


There's nothing wrong with having a night owl chronotype. Working with it instead of forcing a change might be wiser. Here are some tips to live your night owl life to the fullest:


  • Plan your day according to when your energy peaks. Mornings are best for administrative tasks. Afternoons are ideal for scheduling meetings. Nighttime is when your creativity and problem-solving abilities peak.

  • Speak with your boss about adjusting your work hours. You can also look for remote work, which offers a more flexible schedule.

  • Prepare what you need for work the night before. Use an alarm clock that wakes you with light that mimics the sunrise. Invest in a programmable coffee maker. Craft a morning routine that doesn't require you to make decisions or think about work immediately.

  • Ensure that your sleep is undisturbed by others' morning activities. Invest in a 100% light-blocking sleep mask to keep intrusive light at bay. Use a white noise machine or a Bluetooth sleep mask to mask disruptive external sounds.

Conclusion

Waking up early is transformative when it comes to your health and well-being. You're looking at improved sleep quality and focus, enhanced productivity, physical performance and mental health.


However, if you're a night owl, waking and sleeping earlier can be challenging. Consider working with your natural sleep-wake schedule instead of changing it.


We hope this article helped you understand the benefits of waking up early and how to wake up earlier. Let us know by dropping a comment below.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Benefits of Waking Up Early

Is It Actually Healthy to Wake Up Early?

Waking up early is healthy, especially when it aligns with your natural sleep schedule. Coupled with adequate sleep, it can lower your risk for major depressive disorder and anxiety. It also boosts your immune system, sharpens focus, improves decision-making, and reduces your risk for health issues like heart disease and high blood pressure.

What Is the Healthiest Time to Wake Up?

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the healthiest wake-up time. It depends on your chronotype because it's aligned with your natural sleep-wake schedule. If you have a lion chronotype schedule, then five to six in the morning is ideal. If you're a bear chronotype, consider getting up at seven to eight in the morning. If you're a night owl or wolf chronotype, eight to 10 in the morning is best.

Are People Who Wake Up Early Really More Successful?

Waking up early can have a positive impact on your productivity, paving the way for success. It can sharpen your focus and improve your mood and decision-making abilities. However, it won't work if you're sleep-deprived.

Can Waking Up Early Help You Live Longer?

While some research suggests that night owls are at a higher risk for an earlier death, longevity ultimately depends on regular sleep patterns, good sleep quality and healthy habits.

Sources:  

(1) “Early bird or night owl? How your chronotype affects your wellness.” UCLA Health, www.uclahealth.org/news/article/early-bird-or-night-owl-how-your-chronotype-affects-your. Accessed 18 August 2025.

(2) “Get Morning Light, Sleep Better at Night.” WebMD, www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/morning-light-better-sleep. Accessed 18 August 2025.

(3) “Waking up one hour earlier than usual may reduce depression risk.” Harvard Health Publishing, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/waking-up-one-hour-earlier-than-usual-may-reduce-depression-risk. Accessed 18 August 2025.

(4) “Defend Your Research: The Early Bird Really Does Get the Worm.” Harvard Business Review, www2.qa.hbr.org/2010/07/defend-your-research-the-early-bird-really-does-get-the-worm. Accessed 18 August 2025.


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