There are two types of people: those who sleep early and rise with the sun, and those who stay up late and wake up when the sun is already high in the sky. What causes people to have these different sleeping patterns, and is one healthier than the other? Continue reading to find out!
Mornings can be an extremely productive time for some, but not so much for others, who work better well into the nighttime. Although most people don't fall into the extremes of waking up at 5:00 am or being completely nocturnal, we all probably know whether we are a morning person or not.
Factors That Affect Sleep Patterns
A main factor that pushes us to either side is our genetic makeup. Starting from when we are born, our sleeping habits are controlled by our genes. It is possible to shift our sleep cycles over time after staying up late many nights in a row, however, our body will always naturally fall to its predetermined pattern. As Professor Brown from Penn State University states, "If you're a morning-type person, you can't become an evening type, and vice versa."
Our body's "internal clock", also known as our circadian rhythm, is a 24-hour cycle our body follows everyday to release hormones that signal things such as our hunger and sleepiness. As we fall into a routine, our body changes its timing to follow our behavioral patterns.
However, as we age, our circadian rhythm often adjusts according to our schedules and lifestyles. For instance, elementary school children often start out as early risers, while high school and college students tend to adopt the night owl lifestyle to fit their abundance of activities in everyday, and people of older age tend to sleep earlier as a result of reduced activity and/or medications. Despite these general changes due to age, it is shown that no matter what your lifestyle is as a young adult, you will fall into your body's natural sleeping pattern when you enter your old age.
Night owls, an estimated 17% of the population, have something called a "delayed sleep phase", where they start feeling tired later at night compared to others. On the other hand, early birds, which are only 1% of the population, experience "advanced sleep phase", and get tired earlier in the evening. In addition, some people, labeled as "intermediate", may fall somewhere in the middle, where they can wake up or stay up a few hours later or earlier each day without a problem.
So, Which Habit is Better?
Professionals state that neither sleeping habit is unhealthy. However, night owls have a significantly harder time with their schedule, as societal events such as school and work occur usually early mornings. This forces them to go against their body's circadian rhythm, and thus, often causing them to experience sleep deprivation. They also tend to have a greater dependence on caffeine in order to wake up and function in the morning, and to even have higher depression rates compared to early birds. However, night owls are noted to be able to stay more focused throughout the day, and generally be more alert and productive.
Of course, being an early riser also has its benefits. People who sleep and wake up earlier tend to have higher quality sleep, along with regular sleeping patterns as they continue their sleep cycle even on off days at home. Based on a study from the University of Toronto, they are also more flexible, healthy, and happy in general compared to night owls.
Therefore, both sleeping styles have their advantages and disadvantages. The most important thing is to try to keep a regular schedule, so your body's circadian rhythm isn't constantly being interfered with. Even if you're a night owl who has a harder time waking up earlier on business days, you can slowly adjust your sleeping pattern over time to be able to rise early and be productive. By waking up and sleeping earlier everyday, your body will slowly get accustomed to its new schedule while getting an adequate amount of sleep every night. Consistency is key!
References:
Hadhazy, Adam. “Life’s Extremes: Early Birds vs. Night Owls.” Live Science, 2 Oct. 2011, www.livescience.com/16334-night-owls-early-birds-sleep-cycles.html.
Oakley, Colleen. “Why You’re an Early Bird or a Night Owl.” WebMD, 12 Nov. 2012, www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/early-bird-night-owl.
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