Franklin Was Right About This One Whether You Like It or Not

Professor Long’s 26 Rules of the Business Road – Rule #13

Ah, the “unlucky” Rule #13! (Probably unlucky for me, as most people do NOT like this rule):

“Go to bed before midnight and get up early and get to work.”

Benjamin Franklin said it this way: “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” And he was right. Too. I skipped the rhyme and got more specific.

Yep. This rule tells you when to get to bed and what to do when you get up — early. Work. This is my MOST unpopular rule/topic, especially among my former students. After all, what’s college for but to party hearty, have fun, and meet people?

“American students have it backward,” a student from overseas once told me. “You’re supposed to study and get great grades and learn as much as possible in college, so you can get an excellent job – THEN you can party all you want!”

Now, I’m not saying all my former students wanted to do was party. In fact, nearly all of them came to class, studied, and made decent grades (and, I hope, learned something from my classes). Many of my students who graduated were very successful in business (and still are very successful!). 

But I also remember a few students who missed a ton of classes, slept through lectures/discussions, and who came crying to my office when they didn’t pass the class. (I taught nearly all seniors in a prominent business school, and most of them needed the class to graduate.) Yes, I know. Life isn’t fair.

Why rule #13

However, before you pass judgment on this rule, let me offer some observations:

Yes, I understand, the world of work is changing.

Flexible schedules, remote worksites, and working at home frankly all sound great to me, but those are after my working career. I applaud companies for doing these things and making it easier to spend time with family and friends. However, in the end, the work still needs to be done and done well.

It’s been scientifically proven that the sleep you get before midnight is the best sleep.  

I’m not kidding – The reason is most likely your circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythms of our bodies are affected by genetics, but also by how much natural light there is during different times of the day. It typically gets dark around 6pm-8pm. (I know, I know, some places don’t get dark, and other places are always dark. Let’s just stick to where most of us are).

After the sun sets and it’s dark outside, your brain starts to produce melatonin, which is made to prepare you for sleep. Going to sleep around 9pm-11pm means you are following your circadian rhythm and getting solid rest.

In addition, the shift from non-REM sleep to REM sleep happens at certain times of the night, regardless of the time you go to bed, so if you go to bed late (sucks to be on the night shift, trust me, I’ve done it), your sleep will tend toward lighter, non-REM sleep. 

Then you’re tired all the time, and your health can suffer. (Honestly – people who get less REM sleep have heart disease problems and other health problems).

The majority of business is still conducted in the daytime (in the country where you do business). 

I know it’s daytime in one part of the world while it’s nighttime in the other. I stayed up (or got up) many a late night to take calls from across the ocean. However, it was daytime there – why? Because the majority of business is done in the daylight. 

As I said, I worked the night shift for years – those folks who work nights have my utmost respect. However, unless you are going to work midnights, your business will be done in the daytime. Act accordingly.

Is this a popular viewpoint? Of course not! But I’ve had many a manager/VP/CEO complain to me about employees “dragging themselves in,” especially on Mondays (c’mon – who loves Mondays?), and providing “sub-standard performance.” 

Think about it. What if you went to a restaurant and the cook and server were exhausted, so when you order a nice lunch you get half of the lunch? Would you be happy? No. You paid for the full lunch, and you don’t want to hear about people being exhausted because they stayed up all night. 

Therefore, your employer (who is paying your wages, whether you think they are high enough or not) expects to get the “full effort” from you, as well. Makes sense? It ought to.

I realize that insomnia occurs, special occasions are scheduled (hey – I have a birthday, too), and impromptu get-togethers happen. That’s not the point (and frankly, as I pointed out in Rule #8, those occurrences are why you have sick/vacation time).

Your assignment

The point is this: On a regular basis, try to go to bed before 11pm and awaken at a reasonable time to allow yourself time to get ready to go to work. That’s also important – waking up at a decent hour so you can eat breakfast (most important meal of the day, they say, and no – just having coffee isn’t enough), do your hygiene routine, get dressed, and commute to work. (If you don’t have to commute, great!). 

Be at your best. Your company needs you to be producing at the highest level, and your boss (most likely) expects it.

Again, if you don’t have to go to work until 10, or noon, or whatever hour – it’s still the smart idea to go to bed on the early side of midnight, for your health and well-being.

And if you don’t believe me, ask your mother. She’ll tell you “nothing good ever happens past midnight” – remember that one?

Good luck and sweet dreams!