Waking up at 5 am may not work for everyone, but is it right for you?
Cold plunges, sunrise runs and neatly filled journals often dominate social media feeds at dawn, reinforcing the idea that early rising is the secret to success. High-profile early starters such as Apple chief executive Tim Cook, entrepreneur Richard Branson and actor Jennifer Aniston are frequently cited as proof that waking at 5am separates high performers from the rest.
But scientific evidence paints a more nuanced picture. Researchers say productivity and wellbeing depend less on the hour of waking and more on an individual’s biological rhythm, known as a chronotype.
Chronotype refers to the natural timing of sleep and alertness across the day. Genetics play a significant role, with studies showing that sleep timing is partly inherited. Chronotype also shifts over the lifespan: teenagers tend to favour later sleep patterns, while older adults often become earlier risers. Most people fall somewhere between the extremes of “larks” and “owls”.
Morning types typically wake early without an alarm and feel alert soon after rising. Evening types are more energetic later in the day and may perform best at night.
Morning type/ Evening type
Research has found differences between the groups. Morning types often report stronger academic outcomes and are less likely to engage in smoking, heavy drinking or drug use. They are also more likely to exercise regularly.
Evening types, on average, report higher levels of burnout and poorer mental and physical health. One explanation is “social jetlag” — the mismatch between a person’s biological clock and the demands of work or school schedules. Repeated sleep restriction can lead to fatigue and accumulated stress.
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Scientists caution against assuming that adopting an early routine will automatically deliver the benefits seen in natural morning types. Chronotypes are shaped by circadian biology and are not easily changed. For evening or intermediate types, consistently waking earlier than their natural rhythm can result in sleep debt, reduced concentration and low mood.
Early rising itself, researchers say, does not create success. Performance tends to improve when daily routines align with biological rhythms. Modern societies are largely structured around early starts, which may give morning types a structural advantage rather than reflecting greater ability.
The gap between biological and social schedules has been linked in studies to poorer academic performance and wellbeing, as well as increased risks of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
Experts suggest that, rather than forcing a 5am routine, people may benefit from identifying their natural sleep patterns. Keeping a sleep diary across workdays and weekends can help reveal when they naturally feel alert. Morning light exposure and limiting evening screen use may support earlier sleep timing, but biology ultimately sets limits.
The evidence indicates that the real productivity advantage lies not in waking earlier, but in designing daily routines that work with, rather than against, the body’s internal clock.