Why waking up at 5 am may not make you as successful as you think

There is limited evidence that forcing an earlier routine changes underlying chronotype.

The idea that highly successful people begin their day before sunrise has become a fixture of modern productivity culture. Senior executives such as Tim Cook and entrepreneur Richard Branson are frequently referenced as examples of early risers, reinforcing the belief that a 5am alarm is a route to improved performance.

Academic research, however, indicates that wake-up times are closely linked to biology. Each person has a chronotype — a natural inclination towards earlier or later sleep and peak alertness. This pattern is partly shaped by genetics and tends to shift with age, with teenagers typically favouring later schedules and older adults moving towards earlier ones.

People described as “morning types” generally feel alert shortly after waking and adapt more easily to conventional working hours. “Evening types”, by contrast, often reach their highest levels of concentration later in the day. Many individuals sit between these two ends of the spectrum.

Studies have found that morning types often report strong academic performance and healthier lifestyle habits. Evening types are more likely to experience fatigue, stress and lower wellbeing when required to follow early schedules. Researchers describe this persistent misalignment between internal body clocks and social timetables as “social jetlag”. Over time, it has been associated with negative health outcomes and reduced performance.

There is limited evidence that forcing an earlier routine changes underlying chronotype. While short-term motivation can make an early start feel productive, sustained sleep restriction may impair concentration and mood. Researchers argue that productivity is more closely linked to working in alignment with one’s natural rhythm than to waking at a specific hour.

Because most workplaces and schools are structured around early starts, those with a natural morning preference may appear to have an advantage. Experts suggest that individuals monitor their sleep patterns — particularly during weekends or holidays when alarms are not required — to better understand their biological timing before adopting rigid routines.

Source: Based on analysis by Christoph Randler, Professor of Biology at the University of Tübingen, originally published by The Conversation.