Why I Wake Up at 4:22 AM

The author describes a weekday morning routine that starts at 4:22 A.M. and is organized around chores, learning, reading, house logistics, planning, exercise, and breakfast before work. He says the routine is meant to make the morning productive without relying on Twitter or Instagram.

Reading notes

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• He has been a morning person since childhood and says mornings feel creative, energized, and productive.
• He rejects the idea that people who wake up later are lazier and says sleep needs vary by person.
• His morning is structured around four principles: getting chores done, getting his head straight, learning, and staying healthy.
• He sets the alarm for 4:22 A.M. so he does not drift back to sleep for another 15 or 30 minutes.
• The routine includes feeding the cats, doing laundry, and light vacuuming.
• He uses 10 minutes to practice Italian with Duolingo.
• He spends time reading tech news, scheduling posts, and sending long articles to Pocket.
• He uses morning time to update the budget, manage rental properties, handle household email, and review the calendar.
• He bikes to Crossfit, stretching before class, and uses non-workout days for blogging.
• He says moving workouts to the morning improved sleep and removed the pressure of exercising later.
• After the gym he cooks breakfast and checks urgent work email.
• He says the routine works about 90% of the time, with travel, illness, late nights, and going out causing exceptions.
• He links his progress to setting small goals, such as moving wake-up time earlier in steps.
• He says he likely needs about five hours of sleep and focuses on improving sleep quality.
• His sleep habits include no coffee after 3 P.M., no naps, avoiding screens before bed, not eating dinner right before bed, eating almond butter, drinking water, reading on a Kindle, and using a sleep mask.
• He says the best part of the routine is leaving work with little left to do except relax with family and friends.