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Sep 1, 2012 · If you’re a morning type, these findings should allow you to feel better about yourself when your night owl friends give you a hard time about turning in early.
Jul 7, 2024 · Night owls: If you’re an evening person, some research suggests that your body clock runs slower than 24 hours. You’ll find it hard to wake up in the mornings and feel alert.
Feb 5, 2018 · We think we know when we are awake and when we are asleep, when we are dreaming and when we are not, but it is actually not so clear. Many people experience moments of confusion and uncertainty...
- Overview
- What’s an early bird?
- What’s a night owl?
- What makes someone a night owl or early bird?
- Recognizing your personal sleep pattern
- Can you change your sleep pattern?
- The bottom line
There are two kinds of people in this world: people who delight in hearing birdsong first thing in the morning, and people who groan, and wish birds had a mute button.
Early birds, also called morning larks, fall into the first category. Most early risers enjoy waking up when the day is young and tend to fade quickly in the evening hours.
Night owls, on the other hand, tend to rise late and stay up late, since they find they’re most productive during the later hours of the day.
Michelle Worley, RN, director of clinical operations at Aeroflow Sleep, explains that the term “night owl” is inspired by the actual animal. The term describes people who have more energy at night and sleep into the day, like nocturnal owls.
The term early bird, says Worley, has its origins in a 17th-century proverb. You probably know the one: The early bird gets the worm.
So, are you an early bird or a night owl? Can your preferred sleeping patterns affect your health? Read on to get the details.
Early birds tend to:
•go to bed early
•wake up early
•feel their best as the day begins
•have less energy in the late afternoon and evening
•have a hard time staying awake past a certain hour
Night owls tend to:
•stay up late
•enjoy sleeping in
•feel their best later in the day
•have more energy at night
•feel tired after waking up early
Researchers from a 2020 study shared that your genetics may help explain whether you favor dawn or dusk. Circadian rhythms might also play a part in determining your sleep chronotype.
Of course, chronotype doesn’t automatically translate to sleep duration, so sleeping for a longer period of time doesn’t necessarily make you a night owl.
Experts still have plenty to learn about sleep, and that includes sleep chronotypes like morningness and eveningness.
The same 2020 study above explored whether daily smartphone use could help decipher sleep chronotypes. Researchers noted a clear divide among participants who used their phones earlier or later in the day, but many participants didn’t fall into one of the two groups.
The study authors also found:
•evidence to suggest women seemed to prefer getting up early
The easiest way to figure out your sleep chronotype? Put your alarm clock away and experiment with when you naturally go to bed and wake up.
You might find it takes several days for your body to settle into its preferred pattern. Eventually, though, you’ll notice you go to bed and wake up at around the same general time.
•If you often don’t feel sleepy until well past midnight, you’re probably a night owl.
•If you usually find yourself yawning shortly after sunset and have trouble sleeping in (even when you want to), you’re probably a morning lark.
According to a 2021 research review on the genes that wind our body clocks, we may eventually have more control over our sleep patterns.
But for the moment, those interventions remain a distant dream, and no magic pill will make it easier for night owls to get out of bed in the morning.
Worley explains that changing your sleep pattern can make for a difficult transition, one that requires both changes in your typical sleep behaviors and patience as you make the switch.
If you want to adjust your sleep schedule, the key often lies in making changes in increments.
Quality sleep plays an essential role in physical and mental well-being, whether you love staying up until the wee hours of the night or thrive on early morning sunshine.
If you can’t seem to get enough restorative sleep, a doctor or sleep specialist can offer more guidance on possible causes and help you explore options for improving your sleep.
Nov 30, 2020 · A person will cycle through the stages of non-REM and REM sleep 4–6 times per night, on average. In this article, we look at sleep cycle stages, factors that influence them, and how to improve ...
Jan 30, 2019 · It tells your body when to be active, when to be hungry and when to release important hormones. Most importantly, your body clock tells you when to be tired and so when to sleep. Some genetic variants we identified were in or near genes responsible for the correct functioning of the body clock.
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Feb 15, 2023 · Sleep deprivation can occur after just 24 hours of no sleep. However, the longer you spend awake, the more severe — and less tolerable — symptoms become. People need sleep to survive. Sleep ...
