Written by Geunhyung Hong
The saying goes that “the early bird gets the worm”. Waking up early has often been touted as the trait of the successful. Figures we all look up to, whether it be highly renowned businessmen like Tim Cook or celebrity figures like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, have been known to start their days before 4:00 AM when the rest of the world is fast asleep. Being up early is all about carving out more time from your day. By getting started on your day 3 to 4 hours before everyone else, you get a huge head start on your tasks. But the benefits of waking up early go far beyond productivity; recent data suggest that being the early bird has the potential to improve your mood, and even reduce the risk of depression. Depression is no doubt one of the biggest conundrums of modern society. A competitive environment (especially in academically intensive nations like South Korea), exerts both physical and psychological pressure on students, to the extent that some fall into a state of despondency. Such students often end up missing out on opportunities they deserve, and going through a tough recuperation process with therapists or teachers. Research shows that getting up early is one of the best ways to stop this from happening. In late May of 2021, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder published a study regarding the correlations between people’s sleep schedules and the risk of depression. Researchers collected sleep time preference questionnaires from 250,000 participants. Data was also collected from 85,000 people who had worn wearable sleep trackers for a week. The information was then paired up with prescriptions records and surveys having to do with diagnoses of MMD, or major depressive disorder. Using statistical analysis, it was found that early bird types of people were significantly less likely to develop the disorder. What’s more, researchers found that each hour of earlier bedtime was associated with a 23% lower risk of MMD diagnosis. As a student who regularly goes to sleep at 1 AM, for example, sleeping at 10 or 11 PM could reduce your chances of depression even further than cutting back to 12 would. The results of this study were corroborated by a smaller one showing improvement in depression scores in people who shifted their bedtime/wake time earlier than their normal routine. Early to bed, early to rise is more or less your way forward. Of course, this is no simple task. The human body is extremely sensitive to sleep schedules, and getting up early has the potential to do more harm than good if not done right. The most important thing for you to keep in mind when trying this is that in order to have a healthy, productive day, you need to get enough hours of sleep. There is no point in being up early if you are consistently depriving yourself of much-needed rest. Research shows that a short sleep duration of 6 hours or less is significantly associated with increases in depression. Also, keep note that habits take time to build. Shifting your sleep schedule can be challenging at first, especially if you have been living as a night owl for most of your life. Matt D’Avella, a documentary filmmaker who made a vlog on his journey to becoming an early bird, found that when he tried to get up at 5 AM, a multitude of hiccups occurred before he was able to settle into a routine. D’Avella ended up with an extremely unproductive first month before he was able to turn his mornings around with 5:30 AM workouts on a daily basis. Everyone has a different way of getting their bodies up and running, and it is imperative that you find what works best for you to have any shot at making long-term changes to your sleep schedule. There are also small tips and tricks that can help you get in the early bird mentality. Unplugging at least 30 minutes prior to going to bed has been proven to be conducive to a better night’s sleep. According to The Sleep Judge, the blue light emitted from screens can alter your body’s natural melatonin levels, making it difficult to fall asleep. On the flip side, an even earlier bedtime with less interference can help you wake up happier and energized the next day. It is also a good idea to sleep with your curtains open so that sunlight can stream through, allowing for you to wake up more naturally. Another clever trick is to place the alarm clock across the room. This prevents you from hitting the snooze button and going back to sleep, as you are forced to get out of bed to turn it off. It cannot be emphasized enough that getting up early is a challenging endeavor, and in the end, it’s your tenacity that will determine your success. The shift from a night owl to an early bird will not happen overnight, but small, incremental changes you make everyday will bring you closer and closer to getting into the habit. And I can guarantee you from both scientific research and personal experience that it will be worth the effort. So why not get started today and reap the benefits? I wish you the best of luck! “8 Genius Tips for Waking Up Early.” Herzing University, https://www.herzing.edu/blog/8-genius-tips-waking-early. Accessed 5 December 2022. Evans, Matt. “Will getting up at 5am every day ruin your health, or make you more productive?” Fit&Well, 27 April 2022, https://www.fitandwell.com/news/will-getting-up-at-5am-every-day-ruin-your-health-or-make-you-more-productive. Accessed 28 November 2022. Simon, Sarah. “Getting up an Hour Earlier Could Lower Your Risk of Depression.” Verywell Health, 15 June 2021, https://www.verywellhealth.com/waking-up-earlier-depression-risk-5188789. Accessed 28 November 2022. Solan, Matthew. “Waking up one hour earlier than usual may reduce depression risk.” Harvard Health, 1 September 2021, https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/waking-up-one-hour-earlier-than-usual-may-reduce-depression-risk. Accessed 28 November 2022.
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