Explore what makes someone a morning person (and if it’s healthier)
Anyone who has ever had to drag themselves out of bed before dawn or stay productive when it’s very late at night will likely agree: Some people are just morning people and others are night people. But why? Is it social conditioning? Or is there a biological reason some people are at their prime certain times of day?
First, it’s worth establishing what people mean when they talk about a morning person vs. a night person, as there’s no formal medical definition.
Morning People:
- Are able to wake up early, often without an alarm
- Their brain is most alert and energy levels are highest in the morning
- They struggle to sleep in even if they stay up late
Night People:
- Are able to stay up late, often without caffeine
- Their brain is most alert and energy levels are highest late at night (after 9 p.m.)
- They struggle to fall asleep early even if they’re tired
Socially, some people see early rising as a virtue—there’s something commendable about getting up before everyone else to start working. But the American Health Association notes that it rarely has anything to do with discipline or work ethic, and many accomplished people are night owls.
But why?
If it’s not about discipline, then what is it? Sleep scientists refer to what’s known as a chronotype, a natural inclination toward a sleep-wake pattern guided by biological clocks in our cells. These internal clocks determine our brain energy, our mood, our hunger, and our sleepiness all throughout the course of a 24-hour cycle. And they’re determined by our genetics.
That’s actually a good thing. Think about it: Our primitive ancestors probably relied on having a shorter window of time when everyone was asleep. Having members of a hunter-gatherer tribe on different sleep schedules made it more practical for someone to stay up and keep watch while others were sleeping.
But there are other factors besides genetics at play, including… Age: Many of us start out morning people as small children but then become night owls as teenagers—that’s a natural circadian rhythm. In our 20s, after we’re done fully growing, most of us become an intermediate between the two extremes. Schedule: If you’re frequently getting up early or working the night shift, you can get used to it. This can cause a lot of people to experience a kind of “social jet lag” when you’re thrown out of your usual schedule, such as staying up late on the weekends, for example.
Is my sleep schedule healthy?
Maybe. For someone who is naturally inclined to sleep in, it can be difficult to adjust to the hours when the rest of society is awake and functioning. This is why many natural night owls might suffer from depression, stress, or high blood pressure—they’re defying their body’s internal clock.
Want to establish a better sleep routine? Here’s what the Sleep Foundation recommends:
- Get regular exercise and exposure to sunlight throughout the day
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol
- Resist the urge to take naps late in the day
- Establish a bedtime routine by putting electronics away, engaging in quiet activities, and sleeping in a room free of clutter, noise, and excess light
