5am club - anyone here got any experiences?

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Posting for traffic!

Has anyone joined the 5am club? Official one (Robin Sharma), rather than just waking up at 5am because work / kids / other commitments.

If so: how did you / do you find it? Did it benefit your life?

And what time were you going to sleep when you were getting up at 5?

Were there any downsides?

I was probably going to bed at 11, give or take thirty mins. Left to my own devices I’d probably settle at 7.5 - 8 hours with no alcohol intake (I like my sleep!) so it was a little less sleep than I’d prefer. I tended to allow myself one weekend lie in per week which I saw as restorative.

I don’t think there were any downsides - except if I went for dinner in a Friday night I’d be flagging post midnight. Otherwise benefits were significant:

More energy
Slimmer
Fitter
More focussed
More mindful use of time (reading versus mindless internet scrolling in front of Tv whilst snacking)

I really must start again!!

It's an interesting concept. I waited all week for my lie in today, missed out on a swim with friends because I was determined to have my lie in. Woke at 10:45 (after getting up briefly at 8am to feed cats that were rampaging around the bedroom) so I've probably had 9+ hours sleep and I still feel like a zombie an hour later. It seems that more sleep actually makes me feel groggy. I have been shattered all week and was expecting to feel refreshed, but I just can't get moving.
When I get up for work at 6/6:30 even after 5/6 hours sleep I can get up and going in minutes.
Perhaps I'm supposed to be a morning person?! But I've always believed the 8 hours sleep thing...
My teen DCs don't go to bed until 10pm, and DH is a night owl/gets up late every day so I'd never see him if I went to bed early!

Some interesting replies and things to take note of - thank you!

@PegasusReturns

And what time were you going to sleep when you were getting up at 5?

Were there any downsides?

I was probably going to bed at 11, give or take thirty mins. Left to my own devices I’d probably settle at 7.5 - 8 hours with no alcohol intake (I like my sleep!) so it was a little less sleep than I’d prefer. I tended to allow myself one weekend lie in per week which I saw as restorative.

I don’t think there were any downsides - except if I went for dinner in a Friday night I’d be flagging post midnight. Otherwise benefits were significant:

More energy
Slimmer
Fitter
More focussed
More mindful use of time (reading versus mindless internet scrolling in front of Tv whilst snacking)

I really must start again!!

Ok this does all sound very appealing - the benefits I mean. I have been persuaded! Excited to start :)

God no, 5am is still the middle of the night for me !

@Coldwine75

God no, 5am is still the middle of the night for me !

Ditto!

Having menopausal waking at 5am makes me feel ill all day and eat too much, so there is no way I would be doing it on purpose! Grateful for all the sleep I can muster.

@RagzReturnsRebooted

It's an interesting concept. I waited all week for my lie in today, missed out on a swim with friends because I was determined to have my lie in. Woke at 10:45 (after getting up briefly at 8am to feed cats that were rampaging around the bedroom) so I've probably had 9+ hours sleep and I still feel like a zombie an hour later. It seems that more sleep actually makes me feel groggy. I have been shattered all week and was expecting to feel refreshed, but I just can't get moving. When I get up for work at 6/6:30 even after 5/6 hours sleep I can get up and going in minutes. Perhaps I'm supposed to be a morning person?! But I've always believed the 8 hours sleep thing... My teen DCs don't go to bed until 10pm, and DH is a night owl/gets up late every day so I'd never see him if I went to bed early!

Yes - interesting - I have this too!!

Yes my neighbour introduced me to it, the cunt wakes me up every morning at that time. So I make a special effort to get her up at the same time on her days off. Occasionally I have a lie, sorry I mean a lay in, forgot I was on MN. I love to get up early & get on with stuff, & ring the family who're not in the UK.

@Whanganui

Yes my neighbour introduced me to it, the cunt wakes me up every morning at that time. So I make a special effort to get her up at the same time on her days off. Occasionally I have a lie, sorry I mean a lay in, forgot I was on MN. I love to get up early & get on with stuff, & ring the family who're not in the UK.

wow - paper thin walls?

The healthiest I've ever felt was at the start of spring this year when for a brief period i was naturally waking at 5am. After a few days I started using the time for exercise - felt great all day. However when we had the Easter holidays and I was staying up a little later, I got out of the rhythm and can't get it back even though I've tried.

It comes across as yet another way to part the (mainly) middle classes from their money. There's a natural reason why you need the amount of sleep you need and when it is best for you take it. I have always disliked the principle that 'smart' people rise early and the slothful rise later. It just isn't this simplistic.

I sometimes wake naturally at that time and it's terrific for getting stuff done; I like to try and get my house work etc done before work any way. However I either end up very tired or the wide awake at 5 is fuelled by anxiety/adrenaline and I can't stop to enjoy the time it gives me back.

What makes it, imo is the lack of interruption. You could wake up at any time as long you get a good productive, uninterrupted stretch in before you start the rest of the day. I'm debating rolling my alarm back to do it- but not to 5am on the reg!

I had to get up at 5:45 for work for a couple of years (2 hour commute!), and it was horrible. I never got used to it.
Thanks to covid, I was able to convert to a remote job and don't have to do this anymore. No way will I be getting up at 5 of my own accord.

I get up at 6 mon-thurs and have an hour alone before waking my kids at 7. I'm a single parent so that is my only time really. Evenings after kids have gone to bed I either have friends or boyfriend round or get an early night so my time alone is literally just that one hour in the morning. I've grown to love it!

I personally really like the idea of this and will be experimenting with it. I've always been much the morning person rather than a night owl and can happily get snuggled into bed for 830. I find myself very crabby at work if I feel like I've got up and rushed to work as the evening feels over too quick the 5am club might help me.

I'm now getting ads for this on Youtube. ☹️

I've always been a natural night owl but I used to do a sport that required a 5am wake up. In winter it was a slog but in spring and summer it was lovely to drive on empty roads and watch the sun rise. By mid morning I was home, refreshed by the exercise and feeling like I'd achieved a lot, and still had the whole day to do weekend stuff like days out or shopping.
I've tried to make early mornings a thing but I just can't get up early for anything other than this particular sport. I really wish I could be an early riser but I'm just not.

God no. I'd need to be asleep by 9pm