Are EARLY RISERS MORE SUCCESSFUL than those who sleep in?

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Are EARLY RISERS MORE SUCCESSFUL than those who sleep in?

Shiloh LundahlPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes

Admittedly, I am naturally an early riser. I naturally wake up at about 5 AM without the need for an alarm clock. This is haw I’ve been since I can remember.  I have read several books such as The Miracle Morning and others that talk about how successful people wake up early in the morning.  Benjamin Franklin also taught the same concept with his “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise” quote. 

So hearing all of this reinforces to me the importance of waking up early to be successful. It does this to the point that I get bothered/annoyed/frustrated with people when they sleep in and waste away their morning. Now, my wife says that it is not true. In her opinion, waking up early has no correlation between being successful or not being successful. So I wanted to open this question up to the BP community. What has your experience been? Do the people you know in your life who are successful wake up early (say before 6 AM or earlier) or do they wake up later?

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Mike Dymski
Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2016 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
7y

When I was single, waking up early did not matter.  There was plenty of time to work 60+ hours, exercise, manage real estate, and have a social life...it was easy.  With a wife and kids though, getting started on critical tasks early and priming the day is essential for my mindset and success.  It's also a common thread among successful entrepreneurs and executives.

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  • Mike Dymski
    Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2016 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
    7y

    When I was single, waking up early did not matter.  There was plenty of time to work 60+ hours, exercise, manage real estate, and have a social life...it was easy.  With a wife and kids though, getting started on critical tasks early and priming the day is essential for my mindset and success.  It's also a common thread among successful entrepreneurs and executives.

    27Reply
  • Tracy Selfridge
    Contractor · Lexington, SC · Member since 2015 · 62 posts · 50 votes
    7y

    I am a student of success. I study several different successful people (multi-million net worth type) and some actually do not wake up early. 

    With that being said, one of the common things I've noticed from every one of these people is that they all have a ritual of some type. Many meditate in order to ground themselves. They all live very intently in that they get the high priority, forward moving things done which allows them to do whatever they like after those tasks are done. 

    So in my opinion, it's not so much the act of getting up early as it is getting the critical tasks done to move forward. 

    17Reply
  • Dustin P.
    Realtor · Tempe, AZ · Member since 2017 · 541 posts · 442 votes
    7y

    I typically get up around 7 AM. I feel like sometimes I get my best work / research done between 10 PM - Midnight. Different strokes for different folks I guess

    9Reply
  • Bjorik Mutize
    Real Estate Broker · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2016 · 530 posts · 398 votes
    7y

    I think it's great, and definitely an action item for myself. More time in the morning, i can take care of some of the me time needed ie. working out, meditation..

    I get up at about 6-7am.

    3Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    7y

    I am 4am to 5am in the summer  5 am to 6 am winter and just wake naturally.

    I do no real work past about 5pm.. go to bed fairly early and do my reading then.

    work out usually before 7am.. I have a full gym in my basement so I have no excuse LOL 

    but I also work from home.. and have now for 7 years or so.. prior to that I always had an office either one I owned or one I leased. 

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  • Effram Barrett
    Real Estate Agent · Houston, TX · Member since 2017 · 159 posts · 161 votes
    7y

    Interesting topic. I think that your time zone plays an important role, especially if you have to compete with out of state competition. I'm in between the East and Western time zones being in the central, so 6am might be too early but 8 am would be too late. I currently wake up at 6am for my full time job, but 6:30-7 would be ideal when I get into RE full time.

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  • Shiloh LundahlPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    7y

    Thanks @Mike Dymski and @Jay Hinrichs.  I see both of you as very successful in your fields and that goes to reinforce my biased opinion that a higher percentage of those who are really successful are early risers.  

    There are a few others that I would like to specifically here their thoughts on this topic.  If you have a moment, I was wondering if @Omar Khan, @Michael Ealy, @Frank Wong, @Kellen Driscoll, @Khoa P., @Mindy Jensen, @Scott Trench, @Nichole Stohler, @Llewelyn A., @Brian Hout, @Gene Guarino, @Devin Elder, @JD Martin, @Ivan Barratt, @Derek Dombeck, @Sterling White, @Jay Helms, @Joe Villeneuve, @David Gudmundsen, @David Greene, @Scott Carson, @Marty Boardman, and @Serge S. could comment a little on your opinion as to whether in general people who get up early in the morning are more successful than those who don't get up early; or does it really not matter?

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  • Joe VilleneuvePro Member
    Plymouth, MI · Member since 2013 · 13k+ posts · 19k+ votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Shiloh Lundahl:

    Thanks @Mike Dymski and @Jay Hinrichs.  I see both of you as very successful in your fields and that goes to reinforce my biased opinion that a higher percentage of those who are really successful are early risers.  

    There are a few others that I would like to specifically here their thoughts on this topic.  If you have a moment, I was wondering if @Omar Khan, @Michael Ealy, @Frank Wong, @Kellen Driscoll, @Khoa P., @Mindy Jensen, @Scott Trench, @Nichole Stohler, @Llewelyn A., @Brian Hout, @Gene Guarino, @Devin Elder, @JD Martin, @Ivan Barratt, @Derek Dombeck, @Sterling White, @Jay Helms, @Joe Villeneuve, @David Gudmundsen, @David Greene, @Scott Carson, @Marty Boardman, and @Serge S. could comment a little on your opinion as to whether in general people who get up early in the morning are more successful than those who don't get up early; or does it really not matter?

     What about those that don't go to bed, he says as he raises his hand and saying, "like me" (occasionally...although if you ask my wife....?)?

    I'm not sure the question is as valid today as it was maybe 10-15 years ago because we are now in a global economy...24/7.

    3Reply
  • Russell BrazilBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes
    7y

    I wake up at 10am most days.

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  • Scott TrenchPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 6k+ votes
    7y

    My opinions on this subject can be found here:

    "Stop Telling Me I Need to Wake Up Early to Be Successful"

    https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/sleep-in

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  • Ivan BarrattBusiness Member
    Investor · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2015 · 764 posts · 953 votes
    7y

    The early bird always gets the worm! It's a cliche for a reason! It's true! 🔥😎🔥

    5Reply
  • Frank Wong
    Real Estate Broker · Bay Area · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y

    @Shiloh Lundahl

    I am an early riser 530am and go to bed by 930pm.  I like being up when no one is awake it allows me to think clearly and get my most important work done by 10 am.  From there the day becomes easy.  I also notice that I am the most focused right in the morning. I use to get up at 9am but trained my body for the new time. 

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  • Michael Ealy
    Developer · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y

    Yup - I wake up early (most days at least). I wake up at 5 AM.

    The peace and quiet of the morning allows me to plan, prioritize and be PROACTIVE.

    Waking up early allow me to feed my mind with positivity and gives me time to read books.

    And waking up early gives me time to exercise afterwards.

    Not waking up early will make me feel busy but not productive as I would just be reacting to events and people.

    So if you can, wake up early!

    3Reply
  • JD MartinBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Shiloh Lundahl:

    Thanks @Mike Dymski and @Jay Hinrichs.  I see both of you as very successful in your fields and that goes to reinforce my biased opinion that a higher percentage of those who are really successful are early risers.  

    There are a few others that I would like to specifically here their thoughts on this topic.  If you have a moment, I was wondering if @Omar Khan, @Michael Ealy, @Frank Wong, @Kellen Driscoll, @Khoa P., @Mindy Jensen, @Scott Trench, @Nichole Stohler, @Llewelyn A., @Brian Hout, @Gene Guarino, @Devin Elder, @JD Martin, @Ivan Barratt, @Derek Dombeck, @Sterling White, @Jay Helms, @Joe Villeneuve, @David Gudmundsen, @David Greene, @Scott Carson, @Marty Boardman, and @Serge S. could comment a little on your opinion as to whether in general people who get up early in the morning are more successful than those who don't get up early; or does it really not matter?

    Thanks for the shout out :)

    Background: I have had "morning jobs" my entire life. Virtually my entire W2 life has been spent in the public sector, either in the military or in local government. Those jobs all start first thing in the morning, so I have been getting up between 5-7 AM virtually all of my life.

    That said: I am a virtual zombie until about 10 AM. It makes no difference if I got up at 3 AM or 9 AM. My brain doesn't work very well in the morning. I find that my most productive work tends to happen in the latter part of the afternoon. I'm often hitting my stride about the time everyone is going home. I try not to schedule meetings before 10 AM because I know I'm just not very effective at that time. So I usually use early mornings to do non-intense tasks like answering e-mail. I do my "heavy lifting" after lunch. 

    With all of that in mind, I think most successful people do tend to wake up early, but I don't think the early part has anything to do with it. Time is an artificial construct, and if we removed artificial light you'd find most people would go to sleep when it got dark and wake up when it got light. Instead, I think most people who are successful tend to be driven by something, and if you are driven by something you tend to want to get to it as soon as you can. So those kind of people tend to want to get their sleep necessity out of the way as soon as they feel like they're not productive, which often means going to bed early, and thus waking up early and getting going on whatever it is they're doing. People who have no driving reason to get out of bed will linger, and if they have no "purpose" then they're in no hurry to go to bed either because there's nothing to get started on the next day. So they tend to stay up later and sleep later. 

    I think most people could just take their cues from their own bodies and be perfectly successful. If you're tired at 9 PM, go to bed. If you feel like leaping out of bed at 5 AM, don't sit there trying to get another hour or two. What do you do when there's no alarm clock, no commitments, and nothing to interrupt your natural sleep cycle like staring at phones, computers or TV screens? That's probably what you should do. Sleep is your recharge period, and everyone needs a different amount. 

    What I take exception to is the idea that to be successful you either need to be a hard driving, 3 hour per night sleep guy or else you need to be in bed by 9 PM in order to leap out at 5 AM and start doing your affirmations. I read the Miracle Morning and if it works for others I say awesome but for me it would do nothing. All that would happen is that I would be up at a non-normal time for me doing things that I would be talking myself into believing would be important. I get up early every day now but that is because my career works that way. When I retire, I believe I will probably go to bed 11-12 PM most nights and be awake about 7-7:30 AM most days because that's what happens when I ignore outside requirements like alarm clocks or things that keep me up like surfing BP :)

    Also: when I wake up early on my own I enjoy being awake in the early morning. I like how the world is still really quiet - no one is mowing or revving loud engines, and I can hear birds. I love walking in the early morning because it's cool and no one is out and about. I love looking at the mist in the mountains. But this has to be natural, not because I forced it to be so. 

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  • Brian Ellis
    Rental Property Investor · South shore, MA · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7y

    I can tell you I did not achieve any sort of success when I was up until midnight, and sleeping in till 11. 

    Now, I don't remember the last time I took a nap. Up at 530, in bed by 930. Ive achieved a decent amount in a short period of time. But that just happened through motivation to finally do something with my life. I love mornings, there is nothing like waking up and having a nice cup o' joe. Its a lot quieter in the mornings, too. 

    2Reply
  • Ray Fisher
    Rental Property Investor · Higginson, AR · Member since 2015 · 123 posts · 101 votes
    7y
    I wake up early usually about 4:30 am. Let the dog out, feed the Cat. Make a cup of coffee, sit on deck. Plan my day out. Wait on sunup! Nice watching it come up on the mountains. The peace and quiet of the Ozarks is soothing. Go wake up the rooster. Do some morning internet searching for income properties. get ready for work, and head into the city. I owe , I owe So off to work I go. Managing a business, I have all kinds of employees, some are early morn people others are late night people. there all productive in there way. So the real answer is what ever is best for you. I live with ADHD, My ducks are not in a row. In my mind there are a bunch of squirrels running around loose. LOL. Early morn works for me, I seem to get more done in the first hours of the morning than I get the rest of the day. Dealing with customers, employees, sales people. is a full time job. This is just another persons opinion.
    7Reply
  • Jonathon Weber
    Member since 2018 · 110 posts · 109 votes
    7y

    Show me a multi millionare that was once broke that only worked a few hours a day a day and did it between 10am to 3:30 pm and I'll show you a liar. 

    1Reply
  • Ron Gallagher
    Investor · Washington, DC · Member since 2017 · 198 posts · 323 votes
    7y

    Early risers might be more successful then night owls, but us night owls certainly have more fun.  Nothing exciting usually happens before midnight most days.

    1Reply
  • Marty Boardman
    Real Estate Investor and Instructor · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2010 · 303 posts · 332 votes
    7y

    I'm usually up by 6a for a workout, then shower and breakfast. I'm at my desk (home office) by 8a. Although I live in Arizona most of my fix and flip deals are in Milwaukee and they're 2 hours ahead of us. But, I've trained my PM to not call before 8a. I'll say I'm definitely at my best in the morning, I do the less interesting/mundane work in the afternoons when I don't need as much brain power. That said, I've found great deals (the most important thing I do) in the morning, afternoon and evening so I don't think it really matters how early you get up, but about the results you are getting when you're awake.

    2Reply
  • Danielle Wolter
    Rental Property Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2019 · 290 posts · 254 votes
    7y
    I'm up at 3 AM on weekdays and 5 AM weekends. The morning is by far my most productive time. It's quiet, peaceful and my brain works at top speed. I get more done before 11 AM than most people I know (I'm probably hanging out with the wrong people LOL). I get a couple hours of work done before I head to my 9-5, then a few hours of evening work before heading to bed at 9 PM.
    2Reply
  • Pat L.
    Rental Property Investor · Upstate, NY · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y

    Raised on a farm, then in the military so 5am is still my natural wake up time. I have to wake the dog & still make my wife breakfast.

    But when I worked I was able to start at 5am walked out at 1pm, went straight to my rehabs & worked until 9pm EVERY DAY. Did that for the 12 years I actually held a JOB then went REI full time. Now 99% of our REI just runs itself, direct deposits etc etc.

    Now we just get up in time to watch the sunrise (at the Lakehouse) & I hit the sack after happy hour & watching the sunset. But at our age you're up several times during the night for those annoying toilet trips that makes the ensuite bathroom I added an absolute necessity.

    4Reply
  • Jason Turgeon
    Realtor · Boston, MA · Member since 2019 · 244 posts · 275 votes
    7y

    There is a mountain of research on this topic. It's usually framed as "owls" (night people) vs "larks" (morning people). Here's one good summary article: https://www.fastcompany.com/30...

    I'm an owl. I despise mornings. Left to my own devices, I stay up until 3ish, sleep until 10ish, and get my best work done after dinner. I can't do that because of my W2 job, dog, and 1 year old son, so I am tired - exhausted, falling asleep at my desk, wiped out tired - all day at work, then I get home and perk up and have to force myself into bed at midnight for a 6am alarm. Anyone who tells me that this makes me more productive or a better employee is completely insane. I am miserable on this schedule, and it shows in my productivity and work.

    4Reply
  • David Pere
    Rental Property Investor · Springfield, MO · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 890 votes
    7y
    My first alarm goes at 0355 every day of the week. This is a necessity for me to hustle before I go into my real job. Once I'm done with the real job I'm sure I'll still be an early riser, but maybe 0500 instead of 0400 haha.
    1Reply
  • Bob Daniels
    Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2017 · 135 posts · 294 votes
    7y

    I think this was probably true in the past, but only marginally true, if at all now.  

    Previously business was conducted during business hours.  So naturally those people who had a morning routine, weren't rushed, had time to clear their head etc, were able to come to work already firing on all cylinders instead of wasting half the morning over by the coffee maker.

    In today's world with the internet and mobile technology, you can conduct business almost any time of the day.  So unless you have a job that mandates you work certain hours, then there is no longer an advantage.  I focus on finding deals, either cold calling, door knocking etc.  I guarantee you nobody is going to answer their phone at 5am wanting to talk about real estate.  I wake up late, find my leads in the afternoon / evening, and then do preliminary research on any decent leads I found later at night.

    0Reply
  • Bryan Blankenship
    Investor · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2014 · 538 posts · 432 votes
    7y

    NAH. You're lucky to see me up and about by 11:00AM most days!! I'm getting better, though. I used to stay up until 3 or 4AM sending out emails and chasing down deals. Now I'm usually in bed by 1AM. I don't understand people who like to get up when the sun rises. :)

    2Reply
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