When Fortune Magazine published,“Waking up at 5 a.m. every day could improve your life,”it raised more than a few eyebrows. Fortune says extra-early wakeups have even become a TikTok trend coined the “five-to-nine before the nine-to-five.”
But sleep specialists say there’s a lot more to consider before … well, raising your eyebrows each morning.
“I think it’s being reflective,” said Dr. Nikole Benders-Hadi, psychiatrist and medical director at Included Health. “It’s about what works for you as an individual, so you can optimize a time in your day … no matter what time you actually end up getting up.”
Dr. Benders-Hadi joined Morning Edition host George Prentice, who wakes up at … well, he’s not saying because he says it usually depresses people.
Read the full transcript below:
GEORGE PRENTICE: It's Morning Edition. I'm George Prentice. Good morning. Truth be told, I have stopped answering that proverbial question. “What time do you get up in the morning?” Believe me, you don't want to know. It usually depresses people. Getting up early is not the favorite thing in the world for some. That said, I know quite a few people that cherish the idea of getting up early. So we were intrigued recently by an article in Fortune magazine titled “Waking Up at 5 a.m.. Every Day Could Improve Your Life.” But of course, that provocative headline aside, a good, serious conversation about rest and the right time to awaken means we should probably be talking to an expert. Dr. Nicole Benders-Hadi is here. She's a New York-based psychiatrist and medical director of Behavioral health at Included Health, which has a mission of breaking down barriers to high quality care. Dr. Benders-Hadi. Good morning.
DR. NIKOLE BENDERS-HADI: Good morning.
PRENTICE: Are you a morning person or a night person?
BENDERS-HADI: You know, I actually am not a morning person. I am very clearly a night person. I find it's just more productive and productive time of my day after the kids are in bed. And it's more quiet, actually.
PRENTICE: Well, for most of us it is that mad dash in the morning. For the moment we wake up, we caffeinate ourselves, we run for the door. We usually forget something. But doing that every day, weeks, months and years, that has to be a pretty dramatic impact on our health.
BENDERS-HADI: It certainly can. Yes. I mean, I think starting every day, feeling rushed and chronically behind can negatively impact your mental health. Right. It's like always feeling you're behind in a race you can't possibly win, which really isn't helpful for motivation or positivity. It can also impact your sense of confidence. We certainly know that good sleep is critical to good mental health and as well as reducing things like depression and anxiety. So, making sure you're getting enough rest is really the primary goal. I think no matter what time you get up.
PRENTICE: I've read all kinds of studies on what is the appropriate length of time for a good night's sleep. What's your take?
BENDERS-HADI: It really can vary. You know, on average, we say it's between seven and 8 hours per night. I think that paying attention to how you feel in the morning when you wake up, do you feel refreshed? Do you feel energized or are you dragging Right from the beginning of the day? Is something to pay attention to as well as at the end of the day, you don't want to go to sleep and fall asleep immediately the second your head hits the pillow. That's really a sign that your body is overtired.
PRENTICE: Are there things we might do sooner than later to impact our positivity at the beginning of a day?
BENDERS-HADI: Think about reorganizing your morning routine so that you have less to do, right? Lay out your clothes. The plan that you plan to wear the night before. Prep your breakfast and lunch meals to go ahead of time. You can also do the same thing for any family members that you might be also caring for. I think you can also do things like keep to-do lists for the day, right? Really prioritize what needs to be done versus a want and give yourself grace that everything on that list may not get done every day. But having a plan can help you feel more prepared and positive about it.
PRENTICE: Is there something to be said for waking up really, really early before the sun rises before 6 a.m.?
BENDERS-HADI: Yes. So, I definitely believe in the overarching goal of this trend. Right. The ability to not feel rushed, to have more quiet or reflective time to start the day, the opportunity to be more deliberate about setting aside personal time. All of those things are very important. If getting up at 5 a.m. allows you to do that, then that's great. But if it creates a barrier to you getting enough restful sleep, then you don't want to do that. You want to think about how you're organizing your day in a different type of way so that you're able to have that quiet time.
PRENTICE: I'm certain you're asked a lot about living a destructive life. Are there solutions out there?
BENDERS-HADI: So I think rests and breaks are again, important for both our mental and our physical health. You know, for a lot of people, simply taking a break from a task can allow you to come back to it with a new point of view or improved focus so that you're able to complete that task faster and more efficiently.And if again, getting up earlier helps your productivity by allowing for more break time during the course of the day. That's great. But really, I think it's being reflective about what works for you as an individual so you can optimize a time in your day… no matter what time you actually end up getting up.
PRENTICE: I am fascinated by Included Health and what I've read about your mission. So, what can you tell our listeners? What do you tell a stranger about Included Health?
BENDERS-HADI: So at Included Health. We care for millions of people across the country as an integrated virtual care and health care navigation company. Our members come to us for everything from care guidance to advocacy. And they also have access to personalized virtual and in-person care for urgent care needs, primary care needs, behavioral health, as well as specialty care. So, we're lucky to have been doing this work for millions of members over the past ten years, previously as Grand Rounds, Health and Doctor on Demand, And we work with over 300 clients offering all of those services I just mentioned.
PRENTICE: So, do we have more barriers in 2023 than we did ten… 20 years ago?
BENDERS-HADI: I think we do, you know, in technology is a big part of that sort of that constant bombardment with information, having information at our fingertips. And don't get me wrong, there's a lot of positivity with having access to data and information, but it can certainly get to the point where it's overwhelming at times as well. So again, you know, being very deliberate about slowing things down, taking that personal, quiet time, reflect on what it is that's important to you, the people you want to spend time with. Being very proactive about making that time is, I think, where we win.
PRENTICE: Dr. Nicole Benders Hadi is a New York based psychiatrist and medical director of behavioral health at Included Health in New York. And all of a sudden, I need one less cup of coffee. This was rather refreshing. Dr. Benders Hadi, thanks so very much for giving us some time this morning.
BENDERS-HADI: Thanks for having me.
Find reporter George Prentice on Twitter @georgepren
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