This. I've been getting up at 5 for the past few weeks. Initially I mostly wanted to be more disciplined, but I quickly realized the value in having my free hours at the beginning of the day instead of the end. Before, my energy level when programming from ~10PM-2AM would be completely dependent on how draining the day had been. The constant distractions throughout the day would also put me in a more fragmented state of mind by the evening. Now, I wake up fresh and spend my best hours reading and hacking on the things that are most important to me.

I'm still trying to figure out the right balance for socializing though, since I'm usually braindead by 9PM.