Five Fascinating Insights into the Lives of Night Owls

Unveiling the nocturnal side of human nature, we delve into the fascinating world of night owls. In this article, we explore five intriguing facts that highlight the distinct biological, psychological, and societal aspects that define these creatures of the night.

The Extended Biological Clock Night owls, in an intriguing contrast to the rest, possess an inner biological clock that tends to run slightly longer than the standard 24-hour cycle. This unique circadian rhythm systematically pushes their schedule a little later each day. As a result, falling asleep at conventional times and awakening in the morning can often pose a significant challenge for these nocturnal individuals.
Comparative Personality Traits Research has illuminated a fascinating contrast between morning people and night owls. While morning birds generally exhibit greater levels of happiness and a lower propensity towards unfavorable habits, night owls score higher on the intelligence scale. Furthermore, night owls have been found to display a heightened degree of sexual promiscuity.
Workplace Advantages Night owls often find their stride in professional settings. These individuals are not only potentially more successful in the workplace but are also credited with being better at lateral thinking. This knack for approaching problems from novel angles makes them indispensable in brainstorming and innovation-oriented tasks.
Financial Success and Intellectual Brightness Scientists have provided compelling evidence that night owls, on average, outshine early risers in terms of financial success and intellectual prowess. Despite being in a world geared towards morning routines, night owls manage to earn more than their early-bird counterparts.
Genetics and Mortality A fascinating genetic aspect underlies the categorization of individuals as early birds or night owls, and this also correlates intriguingly with the time of one’s death. Those inclined towards the morning are likely to meet their end around 11 AM, whereas night owls, true to their nature, are most likely to pass away around 6 PM.

January 19, 2021

People Discuss the Statement, “Morning People Are Not Better Than Night Owls.”

You think you’re better than me, buddy?

I see the way you’re looking in my direction and I feel like you’re judging me because I’m more of a morning person than a night owl.

Oh, sure, in my younger days I was probably more of a night owl, but now I like to be in bed at a decent time so I can get up early and get to work!

And people do seem to go back and forth over which side is better.

AskReddit users weighed in on this subject…let’s see what they had to say.

1. Drives me nuts…

“It drives me nuts when people who wake up early brag about it like it’s some accomplishment. These people usually go to bed early too!

So why is it that people who go to bed late and get up late are seen as lazy? Some of my best ideas and work happen at night when everyone is asleep, my mind is more clear. I just enjoy night time more than day time, what is so wrong with that? It would be crazy to think that everyone can just have the same sleep schedule and thrive.

People have different needs and different rhythms, that is perfectly fine. If you’re a functional person, it shouldn’t matter what time you go to sleep or wake up.”

2. A lifestyle choice.

“I will say this…

Morning people enjoy more of a normal life.

Night owls……well…night owls enjoy themselves, period.”

3. Society says…

“It’s really a societal issue that morning people are seen as “normal” and night people are seen as lazy and unhealthy.

Because waking up insanely early is just as unnatural and unhealthy as staying up super late.

Both go against a human’s natural sleep cycle, so sleep whenever you want.”

4. Seen it all.

“I’ve swung both ways in my life.

Total night owl in high school and college. Morning person for a few years, swung back and for a few times. While there are benefits to both, it is way easier to live a “normal” life as a morning person.

Businesses are open, you can do outdoor activities, and its way easier to stay up late than to wake up early.”

5. At peace.

“I prefer the night, just because it’s the only time no one demands anything from you.

If the nagging people in my life weren’t also early birds, I’d be one. But for now I can only be at peace in the late hours.”

6. No issues.

“As long as you’re able to get up, get your work done, and pull your weight then it’s not an issue.

My husband (when he doesn’t need to work) gets up around 9 or 10. I only wake him up if we have plans.

He wakes up, does his own thing for maybe an hour, and then gets his sh*t done. I don’t see the issue.”

7. Circadian rhythm.

“Technically the human body has evolved in a way to be the most productive when waking up early and getting a good night’s sleep. It’s a part of our circadian rhythm.

Being a morning person has actual mental and even some physical health benefits. I used to be a night owl but I also struggled with depression. One of the things my doctor recommended for my depression was to have a consistent sleep schedule that involved waking up early.

This actually ended up helping me out way more than I was expecting. Do not underestimate what it is like being a morning person.”

8. We’re all different.

“I have been getting up at 6am for 3 years as part of my work.

I still feel tired all day, and have only been depressed since I’ve been forced to be a morning person!

I don’t think age has got anything to do with it I think it is just how different people work.”

9. Works for you.

“I struggled with depression and honestly being a night person kept me a lot more calm and safe and made me more productive.

My therapist made me a morning person for a while and I really didn’t feel better – if anything, it was worse.

10. A night person.

“I used to have school and work in the mornings and I’ve had chronic fatigue and depression for years.

But since I started working 3rd shift it’s like I’m a new person. I have so much more energy and I just feel so much better.

So it definitely depends on the person and your natural rhythm and what not. Apparently mine is backwards.”

11. Transitioned.

“I’m a natural night owl who has forcefully transitioned myself to a morning person.

The reason for this is that once you’ve adjusted to waking up early, those first few hours becomes the most productive time of day for you. Your brain is fresh and ready to go full steam ahead. This is actually proven through studies.

So I’ll wake up at 5, go to the gym and be back home by 6:30. I’ll have breakfast and a shower and be ready to go for my day by 7. Then in the two hours before my classes start, I can generally get more work done than I would in the entire rest of the day.

When night time rolls around, I can use that natural pickup from being a night owl to invest in my own interests. I don’t benefit as long because I need to sleep earlier, but I also don’t have to share the time with school work.

This routine gives me more freedom than just staying up late ever did. It sucked for the first week or two waking up before the sun, but now I’m able to feel like I’m giving good attention to all parts of my life.”

12. Not feeling it at all.

“I’m a night owl forced to turn into a morning person ever since I had a kid. I feel like crying. I love the night.

No postman who can bring unexpected bills. No one nagging at your head, every annoying person is asleep. It’s quiet outside.

Now i’m wasting my time sleeping in this precious time.”

Now we want to hear from you.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Talk to us in the comments. Please and thank you!

The post People Discuss the Statement, “Morning People Are Not Better Than Night Owls.” appeared first on UberFacts.

March 12, 2019

Sorry, Night Owls: Your Brain Chemistry Could be Sabotaging Your 9-5 Schedule

I believe humanity can be divided into two basic categories: the morning people who are just bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the minute the sun comes up, and the night owls who hit their stride when the sun goes down.

While there’s nothing wrong with being one or the other, day people definitely have an advantage, since the world tends to operate on a 9-5 schedule.

“A huge number of people struggle to deliver their best performance during work or school hours they are not naturally suited to,” said lead researcher Dr. Elise Facer-Childs. “There is a critical need to increase our understanding of these issues in order to minimise health risks in society, as well as maximise productivity.”

Roughly 50% of people identify as a night owl, which for the purpose of the study meant going to bed “late” and rising after 8:20am.

Image Credit: Pixabay

If that’s the half of the world you fall into, this new study published in the journal Sleep proves it’s not just something you can up and change – your brain is physically and chemically different from those who leap out of bed in the morning.

The international team of scientists, led by the University of Birmingham in the UK, found that night owls have lower connectivity in the areas of the brain linked to consciousness. That means that during “normal” working hours, night people are affected by sleepiness, a lack of attention, and slower reaction times.

“This mismatch between a person’s biological time and social time – which most of us have experienced in the form of jet lag – is a common issue for night owls trying to follow a normal working day. Our study is the first to show a potential intrinsic neuronal mechanism behind why ‘night owls’ may face cognitive disadvantages when being forced to fit into these constraints,” explains Facer-Childs.

Image Credit: Pixabay

38 volunteers completed questionnaires and underwent MRI scans at various points of the day, all the while reporting how sleepy they felt.

Research concluded that morning people were less sleepy and had faster reaction times in the early morning working hours, while night owls hit their stride around 8 in the evening and struggled after rolling out of bed. Night owls did not, however, perform significantly better than morning people at 8pm, which could mean that society’s business hours could have a detrimental effect on those whose natural body rhythms encourage them to wake up later.

Facer-Childs explains how this can be applied to the real world:

“To manage this, we need to get better at taking an individual’s personal body clock into account – particularly in the world of work. A typical day might last from 9am-5pm, but for a night owl, this could result in diminished performance during the morning, lower brain connectivity in regions linked to consciousness and increased daytime sleepiness. If, as a society, we could be more flexible about how we manage time we could go a long way toward maximising productivity and minimising health risks.”

Which is to say, you just might have an argument if you want to lobby your boss for flexible work hours.

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February 26, 2019

Science Weighs In on When It’s Okay to Grab a Midnight Snack, and When to Say No

If you’re trying to eat healthy, or maybe lose a few pounds, one of the most common things people will tell you is to stop snacking after a certain time – usually after dinner. That means those late night munchies are a strict no-no. But is it really true that we can never give in to those midnight cravings?

First of all, let’s dispel the myth that food eaten after a certain hour always turns into fat, like the your stomach knows how to read a clock. You gain weight when more calories go in your body than go out, full stop. And yet, the participants in multiple experiments have proven that people who tend to eat late at night do tend to gain more weight and keep it on.

So what’s up with that?

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Well, a recent group of studies out of Northwestern University seems to indicate that being a night owl has more to do with nighttime eating and its negative effects – night owls are just more likely to eat late. It’s like this: the people for whom the halfway mark of a normal night’s sleep was between 1am and 5:30am (ie. people with earlier bedtimes) tended to have only a meal after work and nothing before bed, while the people for whom the halfway point of their normal night’s sleep was after 5:30 (ie. night owls) were more likely to have another snack before crawling under the sheets. The second group also often got less sleep than the first.

The studies also noted that people tend to make poorer choices when they’re tired or interested in a television series at the end of the day – we reach for easy things like takeout, chips, or pizzas instead of making the trip or stop at the grocery for proteins and vegetables.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

That said, if you are someone who has the luxury of staying up late and sleeping in, there’s no reason you can’t eat if you’re hungry, even after dinner.

Here are some simple tips to keep yourself satisfied, sleeping well, and at your desired weight.

#1. Watch your calories.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Try keeping a log of the calories you eat all day long, and if it’s not too many, it’s fine to have a snack – just try to choose something on the healthier side, and do your best to eat 2 or 3 hours before you plan to go to bed. Otherwise, your digestion could disrupt your sleep and lead to more issues the following day.

#2. Choose your snacks wisely.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Not only is it important to choose something low in calories if your day is almost done, but choosing something that can help promote sleep – dairy, fish, turkey, bananas, kiwi, cherries, almonds, and honey are all options that offer melatonin and serotonin that can help you snooze through the night.

#3. Do some self-evaluation.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

If you do find yourself wanting to indulge late at night more often than not, you might be looking at some kind of compulsion – overeating can be linked to emotional issues. Check on yourself, and determine whether your desire to eat at night could be feelings-related.

So, it’s not a bad thing to give into your hunger later at night, especially if you’re a night owl. You just need to remember that what we eat and when does affect our ability to get good sleep and keep ourselves on an even keel. Don’t force yourself to go hungry, just be conscious of the choices you’re making and do you!

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