You've probably heard some variation of it somewhere. It can come in the form of quotes i.e "only fools sleep 8 hours a day", or "Six hours' sleep for a man, seven for a woman, and eight for a fool".
Sometimes it comes in the form of the 1001 articles telling you to wake up at 4 AM because Tim Cook does so. Apparently, waking up the same time as Tim Cook is bound to make people successful because what works for the CEO of Apple is somehow going to work for everyone else.
Right?
Such is the nature of what I like to call the 4 AM myth. The belief that having a specific wake up time alone is enough to achieve success in life.
To illustrate just how flawed this belief system is, let's have a little thought experiment. Let's imagine 2 guys and call one Jack and the other John.
Jack has an inconsistent sleep schedule. He sleeps pretty much whenever he pleases, but always gets his 8 hours in bed. He wakes up around 8 - 9 AM on most days.
Jack is planning to publish his first novel by the year's end, so he spends at least 2 hours per day writing. He's also trying to stay in shape, so he devotes 1 hour per day to a workout routine.
John on the other hand is an early riser with a very consistent sleep schedule. He wakes up by 4 AM everyday and spends his hours having fun.
He watches TV for about 6 hours a day. He spends not less than 4 hours on social media, and finishes his nights with at least 3-4 hours of gaming.
Looking at the scenario above, who do you think is most likely to be successful by the end of the year?. The guy who gets up late but spends 3 hours per day building his body and working towards his goals, or the early riser who spends half the day seeking pleasure?.
Based on how they use their time, John will most likely end up as an overweight couch potato with health issues. Whereas Jack would be in shape and might just hit the jackpot with that first novel of his.
The truth is your success in life won't be measured by how early you wake up because;
There's A Difference Between Having More Time And Using That Time Productively
Proponents of the 4 AM myth argue that rising early would give you more time to pursue your goals. While this is true, having more time isn't enough.
What you do with the time you have is what matters. An early riser that spends his extra time chasing pleasure won't know the meaning of success.
If waking up early and having lots of time was all that was needed for success, then insomniacs would be the most successful people alive wouldn't they?.
Your Body Might Work Against You
Changing your sleep schedule is going to disrupt your body's clock. That could lead to stress which could actually end up lowering your productivity.
Having adequate sleep is crucial for your body. When you don't get enough you'll end up sleep deprived, and sleep deprivation does not lead to productivity my friend.
Just Because It Works For Others Doesn't Mean It'll Work For You
A lot of people that do the 4 AM thing do so because they read somewhere that that's what some CEO does. If it worked for the CEO then it should work for them right?
Not exactly.
Usian Bolt wears Puma. Will wearing Puma shoes make you set a world record in a race just because you're wearing them?.
Of course not.
Imitating the life patterns of others doesn't guarantee that what worked for them will work for you. There are some who have been able to use rising early to increase their productivity, but it's not a technique that'll work for everyone.
You can try the 4 AM technique to see if it works for you, but don't let anyone deceive you into believing that you'll magically turn successful just because you wake up early.
Closing Thoughts
Sleep when you want, wake when you want. What's important is that you utilize the time you have effectively. As long as you do that consistently, success will eventually find you.
Until later, peace.
Image credits Pixabay, @jacksondavies
