Sleep Smarter, not Earlier

Debunking the Myth of Early Morning Success

Photo by Alexander Possingham on Unsplash

The online gurus; they say you need 8 hours of sleep. They also say you need to get up early. Like 04:00.

That this is what all successful people do, implying you’re a loser if you don’t.

But you can’t generalise for the whole planet like that.

More than 7 billion people? We’re not all the same.

For some, 8 isn’t enough. For others, 8 is impossible.

I’m the latter; I sleep in short stints of 1 to 2 hours and get around 6 hours. Sometimes 7 if I’m really tired.

Yes, I’ll be in bed for around 8 hours, so I’m getting physical rest.

But 8 hours sleep?

No.

It doesn’t work for me. I can’t do it.

We need sleep. We all know that.

But figure out what works for you. Not what some online guru tells you you need.

Consistency is key: go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning.

That made a big difference; it dramatically improved my mental health. In addition, I stopped feeling tired on Mondays when I get up early for work, as my regular waking time is also early.