Why successful people like to wake up at 4am

Apple CEO Tim Cook usually wakes up at 3:45, is always the first person to arrive at the office and the last to leave.

Most people who wake up at 4am do so because of the nature of their jobs, such as farmers, flight attendants, mailmen or currency traders. But some do it by choice.

Russ Perry, 33, lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is the founder of graphic design company Design Pickle. He says that the time between 4am and 6am is the most planned and organized time of the day.

Every time the family welcomed a new member, the couple had to wake up a little earlier. Until the birth of their third daughter, the family's alarm clock was pushed to 4am.

Every morning after waking up and praying, Perry starts by handling emails, reviewing the company's finances, and then hitting the gym. He gets home by 6:30 and has breakfast.

Although experts say answering emails first thing in the morning can be stressful, Perry finds it helps him feel less anxious and more ahead of the curve. By the time he's 10 p.m., Perry is completely exhausted, but he has no plans to kick the habit.

Tim Cook has a habit of waking up very early. Photo: WSJ

Many successful people also have the habit of waking up early. Tim Cook - CEO of Apple, wakes up at 3:45 am, is always the first person in the office and the last to leave. Sallie Krawcheck - CEO of Ellevest said that 4 am is when she is most effective.

Some people choose to work early to avoid distractions from technology and social media. Some work from home first, wanting to get work done in case a new order comes in. Others want to take advantage of the quiet of the early morning.

"When you have a quiet space, you won't be distracted by other people, which makes you work more effectively and productively," said psychologist Josh Davis, director of research at the NeuroLeadership Institute.

People are often affected by distractions in the office such as ambient noise, new email notifications, phones, Facebook... "Working at 4am will free you from these annoyances," Davis commented.

Peter Shankman, a 44-year-old entrepreneur and speaker in New York, usually goes out for a run at 4 a.m. The streets are empty, allowing him to run through his ideas without running into anyone. By 7 a.m., he returns home, turns on his computer, and answers emails, works on his work, or writes.

To be able to wake up early, he has to go to bed at 8:30 p.m. "By then I'm exhausted, but the good thing is I don't have time to do silly things like snacking at night anymore."

Karen Schwalbe-Jones, manager of Harmony Studios in West Hollywood, has been waking up at 4 a.m. for 13 years, ever since her son was born. The 48-year-old wants to spend the early morning hours working out before work.

Schwalbe-Jones admits that she has made some trade-offs. "This lifestyle means I rarely get to see friends. Right now it's the best option for my family, but I still hope to one day be able to go out for dinner without worrying about being late."

According to VNE