I have touched this phenomenon in the early risers group I lead. People who are stressed out by their jobs sleep late on purpose because their evenings are the only time they have control over. It’s like a revenge against their hectic lives. I was surprised this was so common that there is actually a Chinese word representing it.

 I’m such a supporter of waking up early and taking ownership of your day and giving yourself before giving to others whether it’s work or family. A healthy morning routine is an opportunity to center yourself before heading to work.

A good evening routine and a reasonable bedtime is key to be able to wake up early. If you find yourself among people who stay up late because that’s the only free time you have, check the kind of activities you engage in late at night. How many of them are really good for your mental and spiritual health? Do you have enough energy to read, meditate or journal? For me I’ve always fell into the trap of overestimating the number of activities I want to get done in evenings, only to be disappointed and guilty I didn’t accomplish what I set out to do, simply because of my low energy reserves.

While I believe it’s really fun to stay up late every now and then, however, if you particularly lead a super demanding life this might be a form of self-sabotaging behavior where the only one losing is you.

Listen to this topic in Arabic in my podcast: