This Is When the Most Productive People Wake Up

How you can become an early bird, too.

Rebecca Deczynski

Updated Sep 20, 2018 12:22 PM

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

Ben Franklin was right: early to bed and early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy, and wise. A new survey by AmeriSleep polled 510 people about their morning habits, salaries, and wake-up times, and, as it turns out, early risers are the most productive of anyone.

Some bad news for the night owls: Respondents who woke up before sunrise, at the admittedly intense time of 4 a.m., reported that they were highly productive 71 percent of the time. Luckily, the second most productive wake-up time is a little more realistic, at 7 a.m. (Those people said they were highly productive 62 percent of the time.) Those who chose the middle ground— 5 or 6 a.m.—also reported greater efficiency than any participants who woke up at 8 a.m. or later.

If the thought of waking up even a minute earlier sends chills down your spine, never fear—becoming a morning person doesn’t have to be hard! Working out in the morning (even just a short walk) or making breakfast plans with a friend can hold you accountable. In our experience, practice makes perfect; if you stick to a consistent wake-up time (even if that means setting several alarms), your body will gradually adjust. If all else fails, a natural sleep aid can help you go to bed earlier, so you can rise earlier. Now, time to become your most productive self.