+44 Being a morning person doesn't make you more productive — just annoying, amirite?

by Adept-Buddy8894 2 days ago

I'm not really a morning person but doing morning person stuff in fall and winter makes me feel rejuvenated

by meta17 2 days ago

True, but I feel like that's more about the season than the ‘morning grind' itself. If mornings were actually that magical, people would love them year-round

by Adept-Buddy8894 2 days ago

Maybe, but I have to admit there's a pretty strong correlation between people who get up early and people who are successful and happy.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I get up pretty early because of dogs and I much prefer it. I need to chill for a little bit before I get into my day so getting up early is much better for me. And I do love being up when the world is still quiet. It's wonderful in the winter because the world is still dark and everything seems so peaceful.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Sorry, we're taking the guy in a psychiatric hospital as a credible source? Okay then.

by OddInspector962 2 days ago

Humans are not naturally night owls. That is environmental and habitual.

by Odd-Depth-7340 2 days ago

Nah some people definitely are night owls XD

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I'm definitely a night owl. Even having been in the military, I am NOT a morning person.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Some people naturally have later circadian rhythms, there's a whole lot of research on it

by Anonymous 2 days ago

That's not true. There has always been a segment of a community that has had to stay up late into the night during most of human history for one reason or another. Those needs have evaporated over the last 100+ years but those traits are still engrained in people.

by Mjacobs 1 day ago

no, that's not true.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

You're telling us that if you fit into an existing system said system will work in your favor? Wow, last time I was this surprised I saw things get wet when they touched water.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

The system just demands you be at work on time. Whether you choose to get up early and get stuff done and get prepared for the day, or whether you role out of bed 15 minutes before work and stay up late is up to you.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I read this 3 times and genuinely don't understand what the hell you're trying to say here…

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Pretty sure they're insulting your inability to make inferences.

by ludieferry 1 day ago

Isn't the ability of constraining yourself in order to fit in a schedule or a system a way to be disciplined?

by shaniabotsford 1 day ago

We are fundamentally evolved a certain way. It would not surprise me if studies show that waking up around sunrise, with natural light is better for you mentally and produces more cortisol. It would also not surprise me if they showed going to bed closer to sunset to ensure 8 hours sleep ensure you're more productive. They certainly do show that going to the gym and staying active is good for mental health and productivity. So going to the gym in the morning might be when you can fit it in easily around work. It would also not surprise me if the impact of activity that early in the day is also good for you. I dont think there is anything wrong with being a morning person or a night owl. But I feel like people often underrepresent their own ability to control their life, and their impact on others. OP complains about noise in the morning but not about the sun rising. It would not surprise me if OP is just as noisy late at night, but sees their noise as acceptable as it's during what they see as sociable hours.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Correlation not causation. Successful people are the type of people that can make themselves get up in the morning and plan their day. Its not getting up early per se, its the fact that they have the willpower to do it.

by Hendersonblanda 1 day ago

I'd like to see the number on that. I sleep in as long as I can and I'm successful and happy.

by Wisokytony 1 day ago

I didn't say it was a perfect 1 to 1 correlation… but there is a ton of data that suggests people who get up earlier are generally happier and make more money

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I feel like that data is skewed, though. People who make more money tend to be happier because of less financial stress. Careers that make more money are typically going to be at businesses that operate between 7am and 5/6pm. So basically, because someone has a job at one of these places, they're forced to be up early for work. But theyre naturally going to be happier because they have a good paying job. I think to get a true sense of it, you'd have to find people who make the same amount but get up at different times.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Yup. Just have to make sure you factor in a sensible bed time as well lol

by Sudden-Ship-1967 1 day ago

Source?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

As someone who gets up early, I think huge chunk of it is just society works better for an early bird. I wake up at 5:30-6AM, work at 7AM till 3PM. You miss most of the traffic, you have quiet time at work till everyone arrives and you have plenty of time to do stuff after work, because everything is open and everyone is still at work.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

What're the chances this correlation has to do with how society treats morning birds vs night owls Jobs are heavily skewed in favor of morning birds, most night jobs are far less prestigious and with fewer benefits. A good job, with good benefits and validation, contribute significantly to one's mental well being

by Spirited-Food 1 day ago

Because the world is organized specifically for their preferences

by PenPresent 1 day ago

waking up early is conscious commitment; people who are committed tend to achieve more, and consequently be happier and more successful.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Only if you ask gym bros.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Gym bros are also more likely to be successful and happy, maybe there's a correlation there too

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Based on what?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Yeah, essentially an AI slop blog article citing a business insider citing essentially a survey that clearly self-selected for high-income early risers if you actually read it. Mark Zuckerberg famously doesn't take meetings before 2pm but somehow Tim Cook waking up at 5 is supposed to be meaningful?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I mean obviously people working nights wouldn't apply to this discussion, we're talking about people who actually have the option of waking up early and are choosing not to.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I used to work 6pm-6am. You probably won't believe the amount of people who told me i was lazy for going to sleep at 8am.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Well, those people would be idiots

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Those are probably the types of people OP is talking about

by Anonymous 1 day ago

No he's not… he's making the point that it doesn't matter when you get up, it's what you do while you're up. And I'm saying that doesn't seem to be true, because early risers are generally more successful and happier, and the data backs that up.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

How does your conclusion follow? Early risers who are successful are probably doing different things from night owls who aren't successful.

by Jacobialvis 1 day ago

The point is early risers seem to be more likely to do the things that make you successful than late risers

by Anonymous 1 day ago

That'd be a part of the correlation, yeah.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Overrated. People who stay up late do funner stuff.

by MoistAd1297 1 day ago

This just appears to be a personal beef you have that you're trying to turn into a generalized opinion.

by HornetIndividual 1 day ago

That's an awful lot of assumptions and projections bro

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Imma play the same game OP is playing and assume their nighttime productivity is obsessively playing online games.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Yep. As a neutral (I get up at 5:30, because the kid has to) I just need my sleep. Time of day is irrelevant. Maaaaaaybe years ago people actually praised early workers, but most seem not to care. If anything "working late" seems to be expect, perhaps with after work. Which won't fly with me, I'm off at 15 and in bed by 21.

by Expert-Cry 1 day ago

I don't believe there's a significant difference between morning people and night owls. We just have biological variations that lead to different sleep patterns. You can get up early and not be productive, or get up late and be productive (and vice-versa) I know, I, for one, do some of my best work at midnight. It's quite common for me to send out a bunch of emails at that time as I work through all the various projects I've had on the back burner all day. If I forced myself to wake up at 5am, I would surely be much less productive, just as I imagine someone who usually wakes up at 5am would be less productive if they got up at noon. The important thing, in my opinion, is to listen to what your body needs and not try to force yourself into a routine which doesn't work for you.

by Major_Skill7010 1 day ago

I think there's gathering evidence that being a morning person is better all around. Biologically and socially.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Man i didnt do anything to you or anyone else. I just exist and go about my business.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Maybe some of them, but I think you're just not paying attention if you don't think there's a whole genre of "look at how productive I am while you're wasting away in bed" sort of discourse that already existed long before social media selfies.

by Jacobialvis 1 day ago

Authors use the em dash, but there are several tells here.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Didn't even know what an em dash was until recently. Once somebody points it out to you, can't unsee the obvious AI.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

tbh i have a friend who uses it, and she aint ai, but i totally agree this is ai

by Anonymous 1 day ago

The emdashes and quotes on random words, and the "it's not…it's" style 100% confirms this is written by AI.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

while night owls are still working, creating, or actually living life. This sounds like the type of person who when asked "What do you do?" responds with "I'm an entrepreneur" which is code for "unemployed".

by Good-Newspaper-7889 1 day ago

"actually living life" -- as though morning people aren't 'actually living life'. Like wtf.

by FriendshipKey 1 day ago

I used to work at 2 pm to 11 pm job and then stay up until 2 am, rinse and repeat. What's the issue here?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

No issue here - keep doing your thing, king / queen.

by Good-Newspaper-7889 1 day ago

Depends.. People wake up at 5am to beat traffic and get to there job before it gets worse, like me, in n out of nyc

by Livid_Chain 1 day ago

Why are you driving in NYC

by Candid_Garbage 1 day ago

Totally get what you mean. It's easy to mistake someone sharing what works for them as bragging. I think realizing that it's more about your own habits than anyone else's really shifts perspective — and yeah, early routines can be surprisingly effective if you stick with them.

by Adept-Buddy8894 1 day ago

Better yet, was it just working for them?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

If I'm up at 5 am I damn well better make it worth it

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Most of the people I work with start at 6. I typically start much later. They never act superior about it, just say, yeah I like beating the traffic.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

And going home early

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Yeah, that makes sense. Starting early to avoid traffic is practical, not really a brag — I can see how it doesn't feel like a superiority thing in your experience

by Adept-Buddy8894 1 day ago

Waking up at 5am while going to sleep at midnight might not be a sign of discipline, but waking up at 5am after you went to sleep at 9pm 100% is, in fact, getting 8 hours of sleep requires discipline sometimes. while night owls are still working, creating, or actually living life. Just because you went to sleep at three in the morning it doesn't mean you were working, creating, living life; the conception of morning people being productive is there because most of these things are easier to do when it's not night

by shaniabotsford 1 day ago

You can do plenty of stuff at night. I bet you have never experienced the joy of vacuuming your house and cleaning the kitchen at 3 am. I'm also at my most creative at night. I've written tons of poems during the late hours. And if you live in a city (which I don't), you can often even do your shopping late at night.

by Main-Hall 1 day ago

I agree with you about the time of day not really mattering in terms of productivity. But I think being a morning person is an easier way for the average person to be successful. There are lots of successful night owls, but they often work in weird industries and they as people are outliers from the norm. The successful people you hear about who thrive at night are only being talked about because of how remarkable they are, but they are a very small minority. Too many night owl people think they're creative or gifted because they like to stay up late, when in all likelihood they probably are like most people and would be better served with the discipline of waking up early.

by Haunting-Bit3502 1 day ago

You really had to use AI to write this? Really?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Dude just say you struggle getting up at 4am

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Now imagine being a night owl and having the same preference. Good luck lol. It's so hard.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Used to work with a guy who would brag often about his early riser lifestyle. He really wanted praise and attention for it lol.

by batzsheila 1 day ago

In my experience most of the creative and intelligent people I know are night owls. I tend to find night owls much more interesting people too.

by Mjacobs 1 day ago

It's always a number game for them. "I've been up for 3, 4, or 5 hours now. You're just getting up now. Meh ha ha"

by ButterscotchFar7178 1 day ago

Moving with the sun has health benefits, but go off

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I'm far from being a morning person - I usually wake up at 9 am if no alarm. But if one can force themselves to get up and work instead of enjoying sleep - they're indeed likely to be more hardworking & putting more effort than those who don't

by Anonymous 1 day ago

But this is entirely based on how our system operates, not some arbitrary knock on people who like to sleep in. If the entire US economic system didn't start the day until 10:00AM instead of 8:00AM, your opinion wouldn't hold any weight. Sure, you can argue the system is what it is and it's our job to adjust to it, but that isn't necessarily an option for many people who's circadian rhythm just doesn't match up with that schedule. Basically what I'm saying is the only reason you view people getting up early as being more hard-working is because their sleep schedule perfectly fits into our economic system. If the system shifted even a couple of hours, someone like me (who is a night owl) would all of a sudden become exponentially more "productive" in your eyes and we wouldn't be the lazy ones.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Well, yes, some morning people made their sleep schedule fit into the system. They're making an effort unlike me, setting goals, going to gym. It doesn't mean that a particular morning person is more productive than me, but there's a correlation between people who give a f and those who don't. I'm not labeling anyone lazy, just admiring people for whom waking up early is not given but they decided to. I can't.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I usually wake up about 5AM without an alarm -- I actually rarely ever set my alarm because I will just wake up by 5 or 5:30 anyways. If I set an alarm for 4:30AM I hate it and get angry about being woken up. Anyways, I don't think I am more hardworking and putting in more effort or anything. I get a lot done from 6AM till about 2 or 3, but then I start to lose focus and energy. By 8PM I am ready to start getting ready for bed and by 9PM I am happy to be in bed (where I often fall asleep within 5-10 minutes). On the other hand, I know I have colleagues that roll in around 11AM and work pretty hard till 7 or 8PM. I've been here enough times at 8PM meeting deadlines to see them always still going pretty strong. Either way, it's nice I work at a place that mostly respects whatever hours you want to work, we rarely schedule meeting outside the 11AM-3PM time slot. If only we can respect our vacation time better.

by FriendshipKey 1 day ago

our current 24hr social structure has made it that working normal hours during the day and sleeping at night is a privilege. 25% of people are working evening or overnight shifts or have second jobs in the service industry so they aren't sleeping

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Absolutely — it's easy to forget that the traditional 9–5 schedule is a privilege. A lot of people are grinding evenings, nights, or multiple jobs just to get by, so framing productivity around early mornings mostly applies to those with that flexibility

by Adept-Buddy8894 1 day ago

Causation is not correlation. Those who are successful wake up early is different than you will be successful if you wake up early.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

You can be just as lazy getting up at 6 a.m. as you can be at 3 p.m. Being a lark or a night owl isn't really associated with work ethic or productivity.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

We've ceded too much power to the morning people. They control every aspect of our lives and run an intense 24/7 smear campaign against the night owl resistance. Their tyranny bleeds into every pore of our existence, driving us deeper and deeper into a ruinous hellscape of 9am meetings, stores that close at 5pm and revenge bedtime procrastination.

by scotabernathy 1 day ago

I'm up at 5am everyday because that's just when I am awake. I will lay in bed and doom scroll until I have to get up and ready for work at 7am. Not everyone is up because they want to be, some of us are just cursed with it. On days I wake up at 6 I am usually groggy for the first half of the day. Just how my body works.

by FormerConclusion 1 day ago

As someone who lives in Australia and does shift work - I feel you. On days off though, I do understand where they come from because being up early watching the sunrise and enjoying the sun in the morning is a different experience.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I think that people with the discipline to wake up early probably are more productive overall. It's not because they wake up early, it's because they have that discipline

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I do want a medal.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Better than being a cranky duck all day!

by Anonymous 1 day ago

They also seem to forget that us night owls, it's a leftover from when villages needed people to patrol and protect them at night. Some people are just wired for the night shift. (Least that's my excuse for not being a morning person)

by Regular-Limit 1 day ago

I agree. I don't get up early very often but still have a successful carpentry business.

by SetVarious7476 1 day ago

I can't speak for all morning people but I am most productive in the morning hours and get almost all of my major chores/errands done before lunch. It's nice getting to relax in the afternoon knowing you have accomplished everything you need to and can just enjoy the rest of the day stress-free. You sound bitter. Sorry other people are productive at different hours than yourself.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I appreciate morning people who wake up quietly and make plans alone like running/ walking with out forcing others to join. They are really cool. They are not annoying. They live and let live. Morning people who force others to wake up same time are annoying.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I wake up at 4am everyday due to my work schedule. On my days off, I still wake up at 4 am. I start my mornings on my days off by making black coffee, smoking a bunch of weed, and playing Stardew Valley until noon. I'll eat some food, smoke more weed, take a nap, then play more vidya. I can partially agree with you. I just dont feel im being annoying, lol.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I'm a morning person that wants everyone else to be night owls. I never hit traffic on the way to work. Never sit in traffic on the way to skiing or hiking, also never have to worry about finding parking at the trailhead, never have to wait for someone to finish their set so I can use the squat rack. My day is already productive when you're waking up, then I just sit back and relax. This would be difficult if everyone woke up as early as me and I'm not into competing with other early birds.

by Jovannymarquard 1 day ago

While I am neutral on this. As a person who suffers from anxiety and depression, once I started regulating my schedule and forcing myself to get up and be productive in the morning I felt an overall positive mood shift in myself. I even wake up early on weekends now, and I feel it helps overall. No data to back this up. Just my personal experience that being a morning person with a routine schedule has helped me a lot.

by Broad-Photograph1737 1 day ago

9:00 AM is the best time to wake up. Any earlier and you feel bad no matter how much you slept. Any later and you missed too much day. The problem with morning people is that they have a superiority complex. Night people don't care what other people do. Morning people love to act like being a morning person makes them better.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Who hurt you, bro?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I've always been a morning person because I enjoy running before I start my day. It's my private time. I try to be super quiet. Just leave the bedroom and get dressed in the hall bathroom. Now with kids and a job, it's the only "me time" I get in a day. I don't think I'm better than people who sleep in later. It's just what suits me. Even on the weekends, I'm up by 7am. The dog enjoys that because he gets a long walk before breakfast while everyone else is sleeping. You gotta do what works for your body and schedule.

by Exact_Protection5393 1 day ago

the early bird gets the worm but what if you're not an early bird? then it's best to be a late worm so as to avoid early birds

by Plus-Tax 1 day ago

Productivity isn't about when you wake up — it's about what you do when you're awake. Right, and morning people are awake in the morning, so they do more in the morning. That's all there is to it, not sure why that makes you so salty. People who brag about their daily routine are annoying, like you throwing shade because some people go to bed earlier than you.

by bertram28 1 day ago

I mostly work at night, sometimes I don't see the sun for several days in a row, but I don't make it my entire personality. I don't care if some people like to wake up at 5am, good for them

by Steubermyrtle 1 day ago

Morning person: is happy and awake OP: and I took that personally Also 9 PM is a really normal time to go to bed you weirdo. I work 5:30 to 2 AM but let's not pretend that 9 PM is weird, you're an outlier to the societal norm just as much as I am when it comes to the sleep schedule.

by Zackarypacocha 1 day ago

Your ex get with a morning person?

by Spiritual-Offer-2422 1 day ago

Yikes

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Well, the statistics say in general those who start early succeed more often. But that's not a slight on "night owls", it's possible to do great over night. The thing is if you are up at 5 am you know what is going on for the day. You have "jump" on folks. It can be helpful. Plus if you need to you can stretch your day longer. Most of us want to work maybe 10 hours but still be home for dinner.

by Charlottestanto 23 hours ago

For me it's not really that deep. My circadian rhythm just causes me to wake up early so I start my day

by Mammoth_Shake 23 hours ago

Basically your whole opinion is just that you hate "grinset mindset" people which has nothing inherently to do with being a morning person.

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

How are you gonna tell a random group of people about their own productivity ? And im not even a morning person. You sound like a spoilt kid

by Aubree62 23 hours ago

That's some insane level of envy there

by Ferrynola 22 hours ago

It certainly depends on what it is you're trying to be productive doing. There are a tremendous number of things you simply can't wake up later and be as productive as someone who started earlier. In a world that has business opportunities that end at a certain part of the day the people willing to start working on them earlier absolutely have an advantage.

by Anonymous 22 hours ago

I actually do find that morning people are, in general, more productive than night owls. Maybe it's just that productive people also tend to be morning people. Or maybe there is something to getting out of bed early that puts you in the mindset to get more done throughout your waking hours. I am neither. I am slow to wake up in the morning and too tired to stay up late haha. I'm also not particularly efficient/productive.

by Anonymous 22 hours ago

I wouldn't say that this opinion is unpopular among non-morning people

by Immediate-Basil 21 hours ago

Have you tried minding ya business? Why does this affect you so?

by Harmon04 21 hours ago

I don't boast about it. I just do it because I like how quiet the world is at 4 am and I enjoy having some alone time before work. Also makes the day feel longer, in a good way.

by EbbOk 21 hours ago

If you normally or regularly wake up at like 10 am or something i guarantee you're not as productive as someone who is up at 6-8 am

by Anonymous 20 hours ago

I live on a farm. Productivity is absolutely about when you wake up. You ever try milking a cow? Way more productive when the cow is also awake.

by Anonymous 20 hours ago

"No — it just makes you loud at sunrise while the rest of us are trying to sleep." Expecting everyone to not start their day until you do is a pretty wild take. Op must live in some sort of communal housing or this makes zero sense. Just go ahead and sleep in bro, nobody cares.

by Brief_Ad_8937 20 hours ago

"Most of you crash by 9 p.m. anyway, while night owls are still working, creating, or actually living life." lol

by Anonymous 19 hours ago

There's multiple searchable psychological studies about the beneficial effects of consistently experiencing the sunrise, tangentially staying up through the night and having graveyard shifts affects the average person's brain negatively. Biologically and anthropologically speaking humans have risen with the sun and slept shortly after its setting. You might know some anomalies or possibly being limited in your own scope, but I would definitely argue the average person getting up at 5am is more productive than the average person sleeping in. Now, that being said, if someone wakes up at 5am and they are living with other people who sleep in, they still should be courteous and keep a low volume while respecting others people's decision to not wake up early.

by Anonymous 19 hours ago

I went from someone who was up late and got up late to going to bed early and waking up early, and without even telling a soul I must say I just feel more energized and productive throughout the entire day.

by OkOrdinary 19 hours ago

Cope

by luigigraham 19 hours ago

Another whiny rant masquerading as an "unpopular opinion".

by Lura50 18 hours ago

Did you use chat gpt to write this LMAO?

by Anonymous 18 hours ago

Here's a take: as long as you sleep the same amount either way, it literally doesn't matter. I'm naturally inclined toward staying up later, but honestly as long as I get a few hours, whether it me in the morning or night, where almost nobody is up but me, I'm good.

by clarabelle04 18 hours ago

i don't really have any strong opinions either way but my parents pride themselves on being the people who wake up at 5:30 and get started on their day early. but they go to bed at 8:30 on the dot every. single. night. so you're right that it feels silly to brag about being up earlier when it also means they're going to bed at a comically early hour

by Johathanbosco 18 hours ago

I'm not a morning person. I have insomnia. I would love nothing more than to sleep in but I physically can't

by Anonymous 17 hours ago

Dear diary.

by Anonymous 17 hours ago

Nah. I don't sleep… I wait.

by Anonymous 17 hours ago

Some of us can't sleep in anymore. I actually enjoy getting up early. It's quiet.

by carlotta39 17 hours ago

Looks like sum won is gwumpy! 😀

by ambrose64 17 hours ago

It's not "crashing at 9," it's "having a proper sleep schedule"

by Dear_Painter 16 hours ago

Imagine having this strictly binary way of thinking. How annoying.

by Anonymous 16 hours ago

You ok?

by purdyjackeline 16 hours ago

PREACH!!

by Anonymous 16 hours ago

Yea I'm blasting off emails and getting stuff done 10:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. when "productive" morning people are dead asleep.

by Anonymous 16 hours ago