There is nothing quite like dropping yourself into the warm clutches of your pillow and letting it carry you into the sweet dreams beyond.
Unfortunately, for many people, their sweet dreams may be cut short by an alarm clock that heralds the upcoming work day. Even worse, many people simply do not get enough sleep which reduces their productivity on top of a myriad of other problems that may arise from sleeping too little.
Before figuring out whether you should wake up early, or sleep in, you should first understand the importance of getting the appropriate amount of sleep time to stay healthy.
The Importance of Sleep
Although sleeping time may seem like time spent doing nothing, it is a process that is very important in order for our bodies to stay healthy. Having a good sleeping schedule can be as important as a proper diet or exercise. Regardless of when you wake up or go to sleep, the most important thing is doing it consistently.
When it comes to the amount of time you should sleep, the recommended amount for adults is generally 7 to 8 hours a day. If you are younger, this time is usually longer. Newborns, for example, can sleep for over 18 hours a day.
Sometimes it is hard to adhere to recommended sleeping times, especially if you want to stay up longer to do something fun. But not getting enough sleep can have negative side effects.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Drowsiness, lack of focus, and attention difficulties are the usual byproducts of getting too little sleep. On their own, they can severely reduce your productivity throughout the day, but besides that, long-term sleep deprivation can have some worrying consequences.
These generally include an increased risk of many health issues such as obesity, hypertension, depression, and many diseases.
Sleeping for Too Long
Surprisingly, sleeping for too long can also be bad for you. The risks are very similar to those of sleeping too little. However, these issues are not necessarily a consequence of sleeping too much.
Instead, the need for an increased amount of sleep can be caused by underlying health issues such as depression, anxiety and a variety of different diseases.
Benefits of Waking Up Early
The fact of waking up early being beneficial for your productivity is quite well known. This idea is heralded as being key to success by many famous and rich people. While this may not be the magic solution for all, that does not mean there aren't any positives associated with waking up before the break of dawn.
One of the most obvious benefits is that most other people don't rise that early, meaning that you get your entire morning to spend by yourself. Depending on your living situation, some alone time can be just what you need.
Besides that, rising early can give you the time to do activities that you simply couldn't find the time for otherwise. It is far easier to do something early in the morning when you are fresh as opposed to late in the evening when you are tired and want nothing more than to relax.
Such activities may include a morning workout that can help you get energized for the day while keeping you in shape, or some simple reading time in quiet that you wouldn't be able to enjoy at any other time of day. On top of this, you simply have just a little bit more time to do whatever it is you need to.
Instead of rushing to get ready for work because you overslept, you instead can take your time, knowing you still have hours to go before you need to be anywhere.
Early Bird vs Night Owl
Despite the numerous benefits of being an early bird and waking up early in the morning, that doesn't mean that it is for everyone.
Some people are naturally night owls, which means they are most awake and productive in the evening as opposed to early birds, who are most awake and productive in the morning. If a night owl decides to try to wake up early in the morning, they may find it difficult to be productive.
Despite the popular idea that getting up as early as possible is better, that is not necessarily true and depends on the person.
There are, without a doubt, benefits to sleeping in and waking up later in the day. For one, these people can spend time enjoying the nightlife, whereas early birds would be falling asleep by that point. Overall, night owls can often enjoy a more fulfilling social life.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the most important thing for you is to figure out what works best for you. For some people getting up very early simply leaves them tired for the rest of the day, while for others, it gives them much needed time to get stuff done.
The basics that you should follow is sticking to a consistent schedule, that is, going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day, and preferably sleeping at least 7 hours at a time. With a proper sleeping schedule, you are bound to be more energetic and productive throughout the whole day.
