Does waking up earlier actually lead to a better life? And if the idea of having planned your day, eaten breakfast, exercised, and responded to emails before 8 a.m. makes you want to sleep for the next week, are you really doomed to a less successful life?
It depends. Numerous studies have found that morning people are more persistent, self-directed and agreeable. They tend to set higher goals for themselves, plan for the future more and have a better sense of well-being. And when compared to night owls, they’re less likely to be depressed, drink, or smoke.
Although early birds may be more academically successful, night owls tend to perform better on measures of memory, processing speed, and cognitive speed. They’re also more open to new experiences and seek them out more frequently. They may be more creative, and one study even showed that night owls are as healthy and wise as morning people, and a bit wealthier.
So, why are some people naturally early risers while others are night owls? According to research, up to 47% of our sleeping patterns are biologically inherited, meaning that it is incredibly difficult to change from a night owl to an early bird or vice versa. But because of the cultural stereotype that people who go to bed late and wake up late are lazy, many people try to become morning people as much as they can, despite their body’s natural rhythm. However, shifting someone’s internal rhythm isn’t necessarily effective. A study found that even as people tried to become “morning” people, it didn’t make them have a better mood or life satisfaction.
Unsurprisingly, pushing people out of their natural internal rhythm is harmful. When they wake up early, for example, night owls are still producing melatonin. Therefore their body is disrupted by forcing it to be in daytime mode. The physiological consequences like weight gain and sensitivity to insulin and glucose are worsened. In addition, their mood and quality of life decrease. The same logic applies to early risers who stay up late.
So why exactly does society cater towards waking up early and going to sleep early? What if, instead of forcing people awake at 7 a.m. and in bed by 9 p.m., everyone’s days started at noon and they were forced to stay up until 1 a.m.? Productivity shouldn’t be stigmatized to strictly waking up early.
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