Brisbane was crowned the world’s earliest rising city. Does the title stick?

It’s only just gone 6am and already, the riverfront stretch connecting South Bank and West End is heaving.

Groups of joggers and cyclists dart between social strollers and dog walkers. At least 15 people are queuing at a Kombi-turned-coffee cart. Below, three kayakers enjoy a smooth paddle upstream before the peak-hour rush of the city’s ferry network.

For some, the sight of Brisbane at this hour is ungodly, an incomprehensible hive of activity during a window of time reserved for sleep. But for us, getting up early is just the done thing.

The break of day in the River City.Credit: Courtney Kruk

In 2014, a study by fitness tracker Jawbone UP found Brisbane residents were the earliest risers in the world, with the average waking time of 6.35am.

Three years later, data analysed from smartphone app Sleep Cycle found south-east Queenslanders were up before most of the country, with average wake times of 6.24am in Caboolture, 6.34am in Redcliffe, 6.42am in Brisbane and 6.44am on the Gold Coast.

A current city-by-city analysis of wake times has been difficult to find, but a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) last year found Colombians were the earliest risers in the world, with a median waking time of 6.31am.

Up and at ’em: No sleeping in for this group in Brisbane.Credit: Courtney Kruk

In trying to understand why Colombia is up earlier than most, sociologist Dr Juan Carlos Mantilla explained there were strong social and cultural ties to waking early that have persisted despite industrial and agricultural change.

“It is a socially accepted practice to wake up early and there is social pressure to do so,” he told the BBC.

Brisbanites might no longer hold the official title as the world’s earliest risers, but we have maintained a reputation for making the most of the mornings.

So why are we so obsessed with waking up before the rest of the country?

Griffith University associate professor and health psychologist Nicola Burton says understanding the factors that contributed to behaviours such as physical activity and sleep was the first place to start.

Important biological factors include age, circadian rhythms (the body’s natural 24-hour internal clock responsible for regulating periods of alertness and sleepiness), and sleep chronotypes.

“People will often talk about early larks and night owls,” Burton says.

5.48am: Given our climate and outdoor lifestyle, it seems unlikely Brisbane will ever stop being an early rising city. But we might find a way to embrace both the night and day. Credit: Courtney Kruk

“There are some people who are just naturally early wakers, they wake up ready to go, whereas there are some people who feel most productive in the middle of the day, and others who feel most productive in the evening.”

Individuals can also be “indeterminate”, experiencing fluctuating periods of peak productivity.

Social, individual, cultural and environmental factors carry as much weight as our biology. That includes family environment, productivity beliefs, work schedule, health issues, trends, weather and the cultural fabric of a place.

Like Colombia, avoiding heat and humidity partially explains Brisbane’s early morning activity. “We don’t have the same low temperatures in the morning as some of our southern states,” Burton says.

“And even though we don’t have daylight saving, we do still have quite a lot of light available, compared to some European countries, for example.”

Daylight saving comes into effect on Sunday, October 6, moving the clock forward an hour in the ACT, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

And as predictable as the six-month headache that ensues for states with misaligned time zones is the annual debate about Queensland’s exclusion from the adjustment.

Arguments for and against are well-worn but in the context of Brisbane’s aspirations to have a vibrant nightlife and 24-hour economy, pressure to shift that extra hour of sunlight into the evening might ratchet up in coming years. More so as the city heats up.

Would that mean Brisbane stops being an early-rising city?

Burton thinks the lark and owl can co-exist. “We’re moving, and we’re in a more time-flexible culture than what we were 10 to 20 years ago,” she says.

We’re not about to shoehorn siesta into Queensland culture (if only) but we have started to adopt fluid attitudes towards hours of operations. Think tradies starting work early to beat the heat, cafes daring to open later than 3pm, flexible work-from-home arrangements and a growing late-night dining scene.

“How far that can be taken is unclear. I think there are still limitations that will be somewhat influenced by not only our socio-cultural norms, but our climate norms as well.”

I’m with Brisbane – I like starting the day early. Being active in the morning means I’m less annoying to myself and those around me and can come home after a long day and do absolutely nothing – if I so wish.

I also enjoy late nights and nocturnal activities, and have found a way to lean into both.

It’s the kind of duality that Brisbane could embrace, becoming a place of activity at first light, and well into the night.