With over 15 billion views and counting, TikTok’s latest productivity trend has experts concerned about pushing potentially harmful routines to viewers. The 5-9 trend has platform users filming their morning routine, starting at the very early time of five o’clock, before their day job.
The fitted furniture experts at Online-Bedrooms.co.uk are debunking the recent fixation on waking up early and being as productive as possible by sharing the potential negative effects of the routine.
The trend shows tasks like working out, making breakfast, cleaning the house and preparing for the day are all reduced to second long clips and edited together.
While many may find the videos to be inspirational and motivating, others struggle with the fact they are not able to follow the same levels of perceived productivity due to their inability to wake up so early.
Research reveals that following such a routine can actually lead to issues with mental health, productivity levels and the ability to socialise with others.
Nic Shacklock from Online-Bedrooms.co.uk said: “Having enough sleep every night is a very important habit for all. The TikTok trend relies on viewers seeing the routines as aspirational. Although waking up at five am may work for some people, it is definitely not productive or realistic for all. The most important thing when it comes to sleep is sticking to a routine which works best for you. Pay attention to your body and mind at different times throughout the day and how your lack of sleep may be having a negative effect on it. That’s why we wanted to share some of the damaging effects of consistently waking up earlier than your body is used to and forcing yourself to be as productive as possible in the early hours of the morning.”
Here are Online-Bedroom.co.uk‘s potential risks of waking up earlier than is normal for your body:
- Lack of Motivation
The effects of poor sleep habits can be seen when trying to perform daily tasks or work, but not finding the motivation to work to your best ability. Sleep deprivation can cause brain fog. In this state, it can be difficult to make decisions, stay alert or remember details. In this way, waking up at 5am can actually be counterproductive and cause more issues with your ability to complete tasks.
Instead, organising your time around your working hours should be tailored to what best suits you and your lifestyle, rather than aiming to mimic the routines of those seen online.
- Social Skills
Exhaustion and excessive tiredness can put up social barriers between you and your friends, family or colleagues. With sleep deprivation comes a lack of ability to truly connect and listen to others, making teamwork and open conversations particularly difficult. Even though waking up early may make you feel as though you are hitting personal goals and achieving more than in your usual routine, you may be compromising on social interactions and professional goals in the meantime.
- Mental health
Lack of sleep is linked to a variety of health issues, both physical and mental. Changing your sleep routine to wake up much earlier than you are used to may lead to damaging effects on your ability to process emotions, leading to increased irritability, anxiety and anger.
- Digestive Issues
A lack of sleep is a risk factor for your digestive system, as sleep affects two hormones, leptin and ghrelin. These are the hormones that control feelings of hunger and fullness. When these hormones fluctuate, people will start to experience those feelings outside of their normal routine, which could explain feelings of hunger throughout the night or extremely early in the morning.
