Is Waking Up at 5 a.m. Really Worth it?

The truth behind the internet’s favorite “productive morning” trend

By Ava Baima

Graphic by Sisi Chen

It seems like the internet is always giving us a new, ambitious goal to chase. From hitting 100-plus grams of protein a day to following a ten-step skincare routine, there’s always pressure to be better. One of the latest demanding trends is waking up at 5 a.m. 

Lifestyle influencers constantly post videos with titles similar to “Spend A Productive Morning with Me” or “Waking Up At 5 a.m. For A Week.” I’ve watched a few of them, and a common theme seems to be that it gets harder as time goes on. Waking up that early doesn’t always seem sustainable, especially for influencers trying their hardest to be picture-perfect. 

There doesn’t seem to be much science behind why 5 a.m. is supposedly the magic time to get up. There’s no specific data proving that waking up at 5 a.m. itself is beneficial, and in some cases, it can do more harm than good. Since the sun often isn’t up yet, it can disrupt our circadian rhythms, which can negatively affect both biological and mental health. 

Even so, there are benefits to waking up early. Society values productivity, and getting up earlier can motivate people to front-load their work and finish tasks at the beginning of their day. There’s also a certain ego boost one can get from starting their day before everyone else. It can feel good to get up before the sun and make you feel like you’re doing something right.

Still, while hustle culture and productivity are “in”, you have to ask yourself what works for you. I personally wake up between 5 and 6 a.m. every day because it fits my routine. I’m a morning person, and I like going to the gym first thing, so I have to wake up around then to make it to work. I enjoy the routine I’ve built, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that I need to get a good night's sleep if I want to get up that early, which means going to bed at 11 p.m. at the latest. Going to bed that early doesn’t work for everyone, so it really depends on what feels natural to you. 

My conclusion: If you’re a morning person and want to wake up early, give it a try! If staying up later works better for your routine, stick with that.