Last week, I shared how I trained myself to wake up at 5AM. It was one of the hardest habits I built, and it served a purpose during that season of life. But this week, I want to say something equally important: You don’t need 5AM to be more productive.

Somewhere along the way, we turned a time on the clock into a personality trait. As if discipline starts at sunrise. As if effectiveness requires beating sunlight. It doesn’t. It requires alignment.

Tip of the Week: Don’t copy someone else’s wake-up time. Build a repeatable system around your own peak energy.

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The Theory Behind

We are not evenly distributed at sunrise. Years ago, I ran an internal survey at Amazon with more than 10,000 respondents asking about chronotype. The results were almost evenly split: roughly a third early risers, a third night owls, and a third somewhere in between. That means for about one-third of us, 5AM isn’t just uncomfortable, but more like biologically challenging (like forcing left handed people to write with their right hand). If a third of us are wired to peak later, then prescribing 5AM as universal advice ignores basic biology (Side note: ...and it kinda pisses me off because societies have been built around fitting those who wake up early - e.g. school, work, etc.)

The 5AM Club works — but not because it’s 5AM. Books like The 5AM Club and The Miracle Morning popularized early rising as the key to success. But if we look closely, what they really promote is movement, reflection, learning, and focused work... all done without interruption. Those same activities can happen at 9PM (or any other time) if that’s when our brain is sharp. The benefit isn’t sunrise on its own, but it’s more about syncing high-value behaviors with high-energy windows.

Routines create leverage (regardless of the hour). What truly transforms performance is repeatability. Moonlight walks. Structured nighttime journaling. A consistent “closing shift” that resets our home before bed. When we build routines around our natural rhythm, we conserve cognitive energy. We stop negotiating with ourselves. The system runs even when motivation is low, because our energy is high.

What I’ve Learned

The main challenge is that it is less likely to wake up at 5AM craving instant gratification. You don’t roll out of bed desperate for dopamine hits from TikTok, a binge-watching Netflix session, or a greasy hamburger for breakfast. For whatever reason, those urges feel far more natural at night. And there’s biology behind that. By the end of the day, decision fatigue is higher, cognitive control drops, and our brains are more vulnerable to quick-reward behaviors. It’s easier to drift into scrolling at 10:30PM than it is at 5AM. That’s one reason early mornings can feel productive...it’s like temptation hasn’t fully woken up yet.

If you’re a Night Owl, you need guardrails. Instead of trusting your 11PM brain to make disciplined decisions, design friction in advance. Put your phone in another room. Set a shutdown alarm. Replace screens with a physical book. Create a consistent “closing shift” that signals the day is over. You can only beat nighttime impulses with clear systems.

Make It Happen

If 5AM doesn’t fit your wiring, here’s how to win anyway.

1. Identify Your Peak Energy. Track your energy for one week in 3-hour blocks. Find your cognitive prime time... that’s your gold mine.

2. Protect an “Advantage Block”. Create a 60–90 minute distraction-free block during your natural peak. No notifications. No meetings. No multitasking. Treat it like a meeting with your future self.

3. Stack High-Value Activities. Inside that block, include movement, reflection, learning, and meaningful progress. Same ingredients as a 5AM routine, just a different clock.

4. Install Night Guardrails. Create friction against late-night dopamine: devices out of reach, Wi-Fi timers, a shutdown ritual, or a physical book replacing screens.

5. Build a Closing Shift. Reset your space before bed. Clean the kitchen. Prep clothes. Review tomorrow. Reduce morning friction and reinforce rhythm.

6. Stay Consistent. Stable sleep and wake times regulate hormones and focus more than any single heroic morning ever will.

Whether you rise with the sun or think best under the moon, effectiveness is about designing your rhythm, not copying someone else’s. Are you a night owl? Reply to this email and share your tips!

This is the rhythm of the night,

Jorge Luis Pando

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