By Ojas Singh Bhanot
Illustration by: Paavas Bansal
University life is often synonymous with late-night routines. We all know someone who struggles to make it to 10.00am classes or goes clubbing twice a week or pulls ‘all-nighters’ on the lower ground floor of the library. Indeed, some reports suggest that the average bedtime of students falls somewhere around 1.00am. If you’re one of those people seeking a healthier routine, then I encourage you to buck the trend with an early start and see the results! While being an early bird or night owl might feel like a deterministic trait (and there is some evidence genetics might play a role), it is possible to make the switch with new habits.
The health benefits of rising early have been well-documented. Bringing one’s schedule in line with the natural cycle of the sun can synchronize the circadian rhythm of the body, which promotes better sleep quality and a regular sleep schedule. Exposure to morning sunlight aids Vitamin D production and can also boost serotonin levels, improving one’s mood and mental health. Starting your day early can also help develop other healthy habits into your routine. For example, a morning start ensures adequate time for a proper breakfast, which is key to maintaining energy levels throughout the day. It can also help cut down on some unhealthy practices – like drinking – which are associated with late-night activities.
There are also practical advantages for those who exercise to shift their routine to the morning. Gym-goers will be pleased to find the gym mostly empty, avoiding sweaty crowds and having to wait to use the equipment. (At my gym, there are only 5-10 people at 5.00am even as the peak times in the evening can see over a hundred.) And for those who prefer a run or walk, pre-sunrise outings can create a better experience, with empty streets and pavements, meaning fewer obstructions and less traffic exhaust inhaled. After your workout, you’ll be set to beat the morning rush in other aspects of life too, with the luxury of finding plenty of space in the library and potentially even avoiding those dreaded peak fares (which start at 6.30am) on the Tube. And as a bonus: there are also some links between early rising and academic performance, which is something that we as LSE students value importantly.
The only caveat, though, is that early routines are not for the weak; they demand consistency and discipline. It is crucial to resist the temptation to trivially stay up late, ‘just that once’ to finish a reading or to scroll through social media feeds. There will also be some compromises on nightlife, although you will be replacing it with something much more fulfilling. More importantly, waking up earlier only works if it is accompanied by a correspondingly earlier bedtime to get those 7-9 hours of sleep: a 5.00am start means lights out by 9:00pm.
Making the switch to waking up early can be done both gradually (e.g. setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier each day), or suddenly with a more drastic approach. As an early riser of 8 years (currently starting my day at 4.30am with a gym workout and a cold shower), let me share some of my top tips to get into the habit and maintain the routine consistently. Start with an uninterrupted streak of at least two weeks, by which time it will feel like a ‘new normal’. It is also important to maintain a gap between dinner and sleep, ideally two hours or more. Additionally, avoid screen time immediately before bed and switch devices to Night Mode 2-3 hours earlier.
As we head into springtime, with longer days and earlier sunrises, the time is ripe to make the switch to a morning-oriented schedule. In a university environment that runs on burning the midnight oil, early mornings can bring more sustainable energy to your life. While the prospect of being four time zones ahead of everyone else may seem daunting, the gains are well-worth the discipline it takes. The early bird gets so much more than just the worm.
