Introduction
Here I am at my usual wake-up time of 7 a.m., and I’ve already completed the following:
- A workout
- Mobility exercises
- A shower
- Coffee
- Meditation
- Planned my day
I still have a full hour before work. How did I get all this done?
This past week, I decided to try waking up at 5 a.m. You might be wondering: why voluntarily give up sleep? Years ago, I read The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. At the time, I began waking at 5 a.m. and remember feeling like I accomplished so much more with my day.
Lately, I’ve been feeling like my mornings are unproductive—that I’m not getting anything done before work. Add to that a three-year-old who also tends to wake up around 7 a.m., and uninterrupted time in the morning has become rare.
So, I entered this experiment with the following hypothesis:
Does waking up earlier enhance my productivity without negatively affecting my daily energy levels?
Here’s how it went.
The Experiment Design
Methodology
I took a fairly simple approach. Each day, I collected data using wearable technology and stored it in an Apple Notes file. This file included both qualitative reflections and quantitative metrics.
Most of my data came from my Oura Ring, with Apple Watch data used for cross-verification.
Metrics Tracked Daily
- Wake time (Oura)
- Morning energy (self-assessed)
- Activities completed between 5–7 a.m.
- Lunch energy (self-assessed)
- Evening energy (self-assessed)
- Bedtime the night before (Oura)
- Sleep quality (Oura and Apple Watch)
- Key insight (qualitative reflection)
Timeline
The experiment ran for seven days, from June 9 to June 15.
Baseline
Before the experiment, I naturally woke up around 7 a.m. without an alarm. My average weekly sleep score over the past four weeks was 86. My readiness score—Oura’s measure of energy and recovery—averaged 77.
Daily Highlights
Day 1 (Monday)
I woke up at 5:30 a.m.—a little later than planned. My alarm volume had been turned down, and I likely woke up out of sheer anticipation (“Christmas morning” energy).
While I missed my planned workout, I still completed mobility stretches, meditation, and planning. I spontaneously stepped outside for some morning sun (which I’d read boosts energy) and listened to a podcast.
My morning energy started at 6/10 and gradually improved. Sleep quality from the night before was a strong 9/10.
Days 2–4 (Midweek)
Wednesday and Thursday were my earliest wake-ups: 5:18 a.m. and 5:10 a.m., respectively.
- Tuesday: Ran 4.8 km
- Wednesday: Completed a weight-lifting session
I really appreciated having my workouts and shower done early—it freed up my lunch hour for actual rest and food.
However, this is when sleep deprivation began creeping in. To wake at 5 a.m. and get eight hours of sleep, I needed to be asleep by 9 p.m.—not just in bed. But I didn’t want to sacrifice my daughter’s bedtime routine, which ended around 8:50 p.m. I also wanted to read a bit to wind down, which pushed my own sleep start time to around 9:20 p.m.
I underestimated how long it takes me to fall asleep and the variability of nighttime rest. As a result, I went into Day 4 with just 6.5 hours of sleep. My energy that morning? 3/10.
Days 5–7 (Weekend)
In response to midweek fatigue, I began waking slightly later to regain energy and avoid spiraling into further sleep debt:
- Day 5: 5:43 a.m.
- Day 6: 6:11 a.m.
- Day 7: 6:25 a.m.
See the gradual return to baseline? Sigh.
But take a look at the sleep and readiness scores:
- Day 5: Sleep 8/10, Readiness 63
- Day 6: Sleep 9/10, Readiness 80
- Day 7: Sleep 9/10, Readiness 71
The rebound was real. By Day 7, my body had caught up.
Data Summary
Energy Patterns
Early in the week, my energy remained steady throughout the day—no major peaks or crashes. By midweek, the accumulated lack of sleep started to affect me. Once I responded to those signals by allowing more rest, my energy improved again.
Sleep Quality
Sleep quality followed the same arc as energy: high at the beginning and end of the week, lower in the middle.
Productivity
Interestingly, I felt productive even on low-energy days. Establishing a consistent, intentional morning routine seemed to set the tone for the rest of the day. While I didn’t collect hard productivity metrics, I felt like I was accomplishing more.
Unexpected Finding
I expected productivity to correlate directly with energy. High energy = high productivity, right?
Wrong. The key factor seemed to be completing my morning routine. Even on tired days, that sense of structure and alignment helped me feel focused and effective.
Key Insights
- I don’t need to wake at 5 a.m. to feel productive. What I do need is time to complete a morning routine—uninterrupted.
- A fixed 5 a.m. wake-up time is difficult to maintain without sacrificing important evening routines.
- I really enjoy finishing my workouts early in the morning. It boosts my sense of accomplishment and lets me enjoy lunch without multitasking.
The Verdict
Waking at 5 a.m. every day is not for me. The data didn’t support my hypothesis.
But the experiment revealed something more important: my productivity is supported not by the time I wake up, but by the structure of my morning routine.
Going forward, I’ll aim to wake up earlier than 7 a.m., but I won’t be rigid. I’ll continue iterating to find the sweet spot where I get sufficient sleep and protect the time I need for my morning routine.
Call to Action
Have you ever considered waking up earlier? Try adapting this experiment to your own needs. Collect some data, track how you feel, and see what works for you. I’d love to hear if your findings align—or contradict—mine.