The Morning Myth

CHAPTER 6 Your Circadian Rhythm—and Why You Can’t Change It: The Internal Clock You’re Born With Is the One You’re Stuck With

Books, books, books.

Aside from the infamous one that I referred to in the previous chapter, I can’t even count how many books I’ve read on success, self-improvement, and the biographies and autobiographies of countless successful people.

Meanwhile, I also can’t remember exactly how many of them preached the wonders, merits, and even morality of getting up at extreme hours.

It was very common to read about how they were all up at 5:00 a.m. each day! That makes me wonder how many of them were actually telling the truth, considering the fact that Ben Franklin was a late riser in spite of his famous advice, and even I’ve told little white lies about what time I get up to avoid the night owl stigma and the label of “lazy” and so on.

Come to think of it, most of them got up at 5:00 a.m. on their fathers’ orders. No wonder they’re preaching that nonsense, when the brainwashing was forced upon them at such a young age, an age when kids need many more hours than adults to sleep and maintain healthy growth and development. It really makes one wonder how much more they might have achieved had they been allowed to sleep on a child’s normal schedule instead of being forced out of bed before dawn like a Marine recruit at boot camp.

Hours a Day—but Not for You

Your circadian rhythm determines when you naturally fall asleep and when you naturally awaken. Here is ...