Tim Cook of Apple and Bob Iger of Disney lead the trend among CEOs to wake early, often before 6 am, a habit shared by two-thirds of American CEOs. This contrasts sharply with the general population, where less than a third rise early. The underlying message is that early rising relates to success.
Bartleby, a columnist, has tried early starts and acknowledges benefits like clearing inboxes and solving problems before the day's mess. A 2012 study supports the benefits of early rising. It finds early risers to be happier and healthier, while night owls often suffer from insufficient sleep, affecting their mood, health, and productivity. The research also indicates that late risers earn 4% less than early risers. What's more, early risers enjoy higher social status, with latecomers often viewed as lazy or undisciplined.
However, rising early has its drawbacks. Early risers might end up working as late as others due to urgent tasks that arise during the day. Moreover, they may become socially dull, missing out on evening socializing. Night owls, by contrast, tend to engage more in social activities.
Changing one's natural sleep pattern is difficult due to genetic (基因的) factors. Bartleby's own attempts to wake early led to too much caffeine consumption. Finally, the best advice might be to accept one's natural rhythm and stop worrying about your body clock. Most people are neither early birds nor night owls, but in between. Many, including Bartleby, get sleepy in the afternoon, too. That is why most offices operate between 9 and 5 and why they ought to have nap rooms.
