“早睡早起使人健康、富有、聪明”——本杰明·富兰克林名言
“不要相信早起带来的好处，就像痴迷的富兰克林所说的那样……”——马克·吐温
最近，读者罗布问我关于我每天早上4点半起床的习惯，并请我写写早起对健康的好处，我觉得这个问题问得很好。可惜的是，据我所知，早起并没有什么好处。
然而，它还有很多其他优点。
首先我想说，如果你是个夜猫子，而且这种作息习惯很适合你，我觉得很棒。没必要改变，尤其如果你很满意的话。但对我来说，从夜猫子变成早起者（没错，这完全可行）简直是天赐良机。它给我带来了太多好处，我再也不想回到以前的作息了。以下仅列举几点：
1. 迎接新的一天。我喜欢每天醒来都能迎接美好的一天。我建议大家养成晨间仪式，感谢上天赐予的恩赐。我深受达赖喇嘛的启发，他说：“每天醒来时，想想：‘今天我很幸运能够醒来，我还活着，我拥有宝贵的人生，我不会浪费它。我要用尽全力提升自己，敞开心扉关爱他人，为了利益一切众生而证得觉悟，我要善待他人，不生气，不恶意揣测他人，我要尽我所能利益他人。’”
2.美好的开始。我以前每天早上都是从床上跳起来，像往常一样睡过头，然后匆匆忙忙地收拾自己和孩子们，再匆匆忙忙地送他们去学校，最后上班也迟到了。走进办公室时，我看起来蓬头垢面，昏昏沉沉，一副不耐烦的样子，总是落后于其他人。这可不是个好的开始。现在，我养成了一个充满活力的晨间仪式，早上8点前就能完成很多事情，孩子们也早早起床，我也一样，等到其他人上班的时候，我已经领先一步了。就我的经验而言，没有什么比早起更能开启美好的一天了。
3.静谧。没有孩子的喧闹，没有婴儿的啼哭，没有足球的踢踏声，没有汽车的轰鸣，也没有电视的噪音。清晨如此宁静祥和。这是我一天中最喜欢的时光。我真的很享受那份宁静，那份独处的时光，我可以思考，可以阅读，可以呼吸。
4.日出。睡懒觉的人会错过大自然最伟大的奇观之一——太阳的升起，它每天都以立体的方式重现。我喜欢白昼缓缓变亮，午夜的蓝色渐渐变成浅蓝色，绚丽的色彩开始渗入天空，大自然被涂上了令人难以置信的色彩。我喜欢在这个时间清晨跑步，一边跑一边抬头望着天空，对着世界说：“多么美好的一天！”真的，我真的会这么做。我知道，这听起来有点老套。
5. 早餐。早起你才有时间吃早餐。据说早餐是一天中最重要的一餐。不吃早餐，你的身体就像在耗尽燃料一样运转，直到午餐时间饿得不行，才会随便吃点不健康的食物。越油腻、越甜越好。但吃了早餐，你就能饱腹到很晚。而且，在清晨的宁静中，一边看书一边喝咖啡享用早餐，远比在上班路上或办公桌前狼吞虎咽要惬意得多。
6.锻炼 。当然，除了清晨之外，还有其他时间可以锻炼，但我发现，虽然下班后立即锻炼也很令人愉悦，但也很容易因为其他事情而被取消。而晨练几乎从不会被取消。
7.效率 。至少对我而言，早晨是一天中最有效率的时间段。我喜欢在早上写作，那时不会有任何干扰，也不会查看邮件或博客统计数据。早上开始工作能让我完成更多的事情。这样，到了晚上，我就没有任何工作要做，可以好好陪伴家人。
8.设定目标时间。你有目标吗？你应该有。而回顾目标、制定计划并完成目标任务的最佳时间莫过于清晨。你应该设定一个本周想要完成的目标。每天早上，你都应该决定今天可以做哪一件事来帮助你朝着这个目标迈进一步。然后，如果可能的话，早上起来第一件事就去做这件事。
9.通勤。除了石油巨头，没人喜欢高峰期的交通拥堵。早点通勤，交通会顺畅得多，你能更快到达公司，从而节省更多时间。或者更好的选择是骑自行车通勤。（或者更好的选择是在家办公。）
10.预约。如果你早起，就更容易准时赴约。赴约迟到会给对方留下不好的印象。提前到达会给他们留下好印象。而且，你还有时间做好准备。
如何成为早起者
不要一下子做出太大改变。循序渐进，先比平时早起15-30分钟。适应几天后，再减少15分钟。如此逐步调整，直到达到你的目标时间。
* 允许自己早睡。你可能习惯了熬夜，比如看电视或上网。但如果你继续保持这个习惯，同时又试图早起，迟早会有一个习惯无法坚持。如果是早起让你力不从心，那么你就会崩溃，睡到很晚，然后不得不重新开始。 我建议你早点上床睡觉，即使你觉得睡不着，也可以在床上看书。如果你真的很累，你可能会比想象中更快入睡。
* 把闹钟放在离床远的地方。如果闹钟就在床边，你会不小心把它关掉或者按掉。千万别按掉。如果闹钟离床远，你就得起床去关掉它。到那时，你已经醒了。现在你只需要保持清醒就行了。
闹钟一关就立刻离开卧室 。别给自己找借口赖床。强迫自己走出房间。我的习惯是跌跌撞撞地走进卫生间小便。等我小便完，冲完马桶，洗完手，对着镜子看了看自己那张丑脸，我就清醒过来，可以面对新的一天了。
不要找借口 。如果你任由大脑说服你放弃早起，你就永远也做不到。不要给自己留任何赖床的余地。
*要有个充分的理由。安排一件重要的事情在清晨去做。这个理由会激励你起床。我喜欢早上写作，这就是我的理由。而且，写完之后，我还喜欢阅读大家的评论！
把早起当作一种奖励。没错，一开始你可能会觉得是在强迫自己做一件难事，但如果你能把它变成一种享受，很快你就会期待早起。一个不错的奖励是泡一杯热咖啡或茶，然后读一本书。其他的奖励可以是美味的早餐（比如奶昔！真棒！）、欣赏日出，或者冥想。找到让你感到愉悦的事情，并把它融入到你的晨间习惯中。
充分利用这些额外的时间。除非你的主要目标就是早起看博客，否则不要为了看博客而早起一两个小时。不要浪费这些额外的时间，而是要让一天有个好的开始！我喜欢利用这段时间提前准备孩子们的午餐，规划一天剩下的时间（设定我的待办事项清单），进行锻炼或冥想，以及阅读。到早上6:30的时候，我已经完成了很多人一天能做的事情。
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
SHARE YOUR REFLECTION
31 PAST RESPONSES
I like your text and find it very inspiring.
But I am wondering about the following:
I really need to get enough sleep since I
am no use for anything if I didnt. So how would
I (or better: how are you) adapt this "system"
of rising early and going to bed early if I want
to go out or spend an evening with friends
and I cannot get enough sleep by going
to bed early. Skip the routine?
What are your ideas or deals with this?
Thanks for sharing the article. =)
Im awake at 04.30 or 05.00 almost every day after downloading the Alarmy (Sleep If U Can) app
I have been wanting to start an early morning routine for a while now. I have no problem going to bed early. My problem is that I *really* love to sleep. I love being in bed. And I'm thankful for the fact that I feel that I have really restful sleep. BUT! I have a *really* hard time getting out of bed early enough to do these things that I so desperately want to do (exercise, meditate, coffee, and writing.) My brain is very convincing in the morning to stay in bed. But I know from the few times I've managed to wake up that early, I really enjoyed my morning and was able to do many of the things I can't seem to find time for otherwise, all before 7AM!
My question to the author is: do you "sleep in" on the weekends?
I'm also open for other suggestions/tricks to get myself up in the mornings and tuning out that voice that convinces me that I should get back in bed :)
Affirming article. I wake at 5 - 5. 30 I considered this a 'problem' & try to go back to bed to sleep more. I love to watch the sun rise. It is great to hear from other early risers & realise it is actually a privilege. It started when I was writing my book. I shall think of this universal community and salute it.
5:00am! Ha! I'm afraid I can n t tt nonssencZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz................x
great article..enjoy every second of your life
Sleep in the night and live in the light is my motto. I love to get up early seeing Venus is a good symbol to start the day. Hearing the bird song is especially precious but the silence is my most blissful time. x
Thank you for this. I always try to be an early riser, but I fall back into the habit of staying up late and then I'm too tired in the morning! Thanks for the inspiration, I'm going to take up your suggestions and give it another go!
Just loved the early rising article. It's something I was taught to do years ago and one of the most important things in my spiritual journey, I rise at 6 - regardless of what might have happened the night before - get out of bed to make a cup of coffee - read something devotional - head for the beach at 7 when I swim - winter or summer - meditate after a shower and am ready for the day.
sounds promising... what's an MIT?
Amazing article....
This is a great article! Very inspiring and I look forward to being more of a morning bird. My obstacle I've run into is that my boyfriend likes to stay up late or party on the weekends a lot. I would love to be social, but I'd rather be up in the early morning hours to enjoy life, sober. I fear that me waking up early will disconnect me from my friends and boyfriend. But I do want to enjoy life more and find that waking up early to meditate and get some personal work done, writing my book, load of laundry, whatever would be so enjoyable. Any thoughts on this? were you a morning riser before your children? I feel that I'll have to wait until I'm older to be a morning person... advice? :)
Thank you!!
http://hifzanshafiee.wordpr...
I just wanted to share this report to you guys which i had come across :D
I am a night bird however, whenever I get up rearly in the morning, I absolutely love it! I love the sunrise and the chirping of the birds and the stillness of the world! I treasure the silence around me. It's breathtaking!
I would like to make it a habit but it's so hard because I will practice it for couple of days but then I fall back into staying up late and only because nights are so so quiet and calm and peaceful that I again enjoy the silence.
Also, how can I solve my problem of wanting to take a nap in the afternoon if I wake up like 5 or 6 in the morning? Anyone has any suggestions? Thank you!
I really, really want to practice this religiously and I feel so frustrated.
I feel the same way about ending the day in peace and quiet. I enjoy the night hours, with no responsibility to fulfill, other than drifting off to sleep after a full night of reading and contemplation. . .
When do you sleep to be able to wake up at 4.30? Does the sleep time ever vary? How do you manage that? Do you feel guilty on random days you don't follow through on this? Or are there no random days?
I find the end time is harder to be disciplined and 'that' affects the wake up time SEVERELY. I need 8 hours so no matter what I have been trying for almost 2 months now, my wake-up time doesn't move - always between 8 and 8.30 (several of the HOW TOs I have tried - some still to go). N i want to make 6am a habit. Any suggestions on this?
It is my karma to live with cheerful early risers. They start talking to me as soon as they see that I am ambulatory. This never ends well. However, I would like to try rising with the sun so I can enjoy hearing the birds as they wake and perhaps catch a glimpse of a retreating deer or coyote. I can see that getting up early when I don't HAVE TO might offer me some mental, physical, and spiritual benefits. . . as long as I can keep the blabbermouths at bay.
I enjoyed the article and will begin to practice this method right away.
YESSSS!!! i needed this ,,, i live in toronto, feb 5, we have i'm guesstimating 9 1/2 of daylight, it is toooo easy for me to stay in bed longer when it is dark, too easy, sooo, i'm biting the bullet and making a public commitment ,to pull those blankets/downfilled comforters back, step on the cold,hard floor and stand up like a true "CANUCK' and start my day on my terms !!
100% agreeing with this article. I have been doing the same for the last one year and my experience is the same. Worth following in our daily life.
Great article! When do you go to bed?!
I am up at 5 every morning. For me it's 30 minutes of meditation and devotions. I always end my meditation with compassion for everyone I will see during the day including challenging people. Many blessings to those who follow the early morning path.
This is a great subject.its something of great value.i love this article and its really very important to rise early and possess you day right away.if you can first pray early,it would be even greater.Nothing can stand your way when you rise early and plan your day fast.!!!!
I am up at 5 every morning. after a quick clean up it is on to the cushion for 40 minutes of meditation. I always end my meditation with compassion for myself and then everyone I will see during the day including challenging people. Off to the gym at 6 and at work by 7:30 with a calm train commute on days I don't need my car. Some days I can see dolphins and deer on the same train ride. I can prepare for the day at the office calmly. Ironically now that my kids are grown I am in bed as early as they were at there youngest! My sangha meets at 7AM Saturdays and Tuesdays so I am more than ready for the lessons my teacher offers. Many blessings to those who follow the early morning path.
Quite interesting article mentioning Dalaylama, Zens and the like; however, it comes too short neglecting an element of tremendous importance. It is the religion of Islam. Muslims pray five times a day. One of these prayers is performed at dawn.The time a person gets up from bed, does his ablution and heads for the mosque all are acts that aim at one and only one single thing which is to foster a willfull-spirited believer enjoying the bliss, the health benefits of waking up at the peep of the day. Muslim were told about these things 1433 years ago through their prophets . So striking that every recent finding regarding health, life, scientific probes,human destiny seem to go in line with the religion of Islam. Worth-scrutuny,doesn't it?
On Early to rise, there is a old saying ' Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise'
let's see how I can achieve my goal,i m gonna start from tonite itself.
Kousik Bose
I am a night bird and tried several times early rising. The days I succeeded I really enjoyed the beautiful sunrise, chirping birds, better mood through the day, et all. However I failed to maintain it. Now after going through your write up I have decided to implement it from today itself and it is a commitment I am making it you. Thanks.
Enjoyed this article until I read that looking at that ugly mug in the mirror; then I questioned the appreciation of the beautiful face bestowed upon you by Grace. That comes first. Inner acknowledgment of the Spirit within and all its glorious handiwork through us in the outer.
I have always noticed that early risers were more cheerful. Who doesn't enjoy a cheerful, optimistic person?
Enjoy your day!
I get up just before the sunrise, and I love it. But using alarm clocks has known health risks. I suggest tweaking the diet, bed time and other physiological tools rather than alarm clocks. Asking someone who lives with you to wake you up gently is the best, though. Some animals can do the task well, too.