I have always had a tendency to wake up early. Even when I do not set an alarm, I am essentially incapable of naturally sleeping later than, say, 9:30. And that’s a good day. This used to really bother me; I wanted to be able to sleep in like most people I know can, and therefore be able to stay up later at night without getting ridiculously tired. But over the years, I have really started to come around on the idea of being a “morning person.” Sure, I might tend to get tired earlier, but the benefits of being an early riser cannot be denied. So, for all of you who enjoy sleeping late and hate mornings, here are a few reasons why I am perfectly happy with being a morning person:
My mind is so much sharper in the morning.
It is so much easier for me to get work done earlier in the day than later; I’m not as tired, my brain is more alert, and I’m just more capable of focusing and working through my seemingly endless “to do” list. If I’m having trouble figuring something out on homework or have writer’s block while attempting to write a paper, I can just go to sleep and know that I’ll be able to focus better early the next morning.
My days seem longer.
If I wake up early (as usual), get out of bed, do work, and then need a break, I still have the entire afternoon available to do whatever needs to get done. I can spend time with friends, do more work, or just relax and watch Netflix. By getting up early and being productive early in the day, I have so much more time in the day to simply get things done (or not – hanging out with friends or taking a nap is always a nice alternative).
It’s convenient when traveling.
I love traveling and am fortunate to have opportunities to travel often, and, with some pushing from my family (who are even earlier risers than me), I have discovered the many benefits of waking up early to take full advantage of your time in a different place. Super early flights tend to be cheaper, and waking up early to travel only increases the excitement of going somewhere new. And when I get to my destination, by getting up early each day and using my morning energy I get to experience everything about the place I’m in. On that note…
When traveling, I get some unique, incredible experiences.
By being a morning person and being able to easily wake up early and have energy to explore, I have gotten to have some incredibly cool experiences. I love watching the sun rise, and two of my favorite travel experiences have been waking up at 4:00 in the morning to go watch the sun rise – once in Utah at Bryce Canyon, and more recently in Maui at the summit of the volcano Haleakala. Being a morning person and getting up early allows me to have these unique adventures that I might not otherwise have had the chance to experience.
I can handle 8:40 A.M. classes.
Obviously a class that early is never my first choice, but when I get stuck with one, I can deal with having to wake up early twice a week and go to class. I can also rest easy knowing that I will never accidentally sleep through class.
So, unlike what I originally thought, being a morning person really isn’t that bad. In fact, it’s kind of a great thing. But I still need coffee.
