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Are You an Early Bird or a Night Owl?

By
Sabrina Stierwalt, PhD,
Everyday Einstein
January 23, 2015
Hi Im Dr. Sabrina Stierwalt, the Everyday Einstein, bringing you Quick
and Dirty Tips to help you make sense of science.
As an astrophysicist, I am happiest when I am at a telescope
observing distant galaxies. My happiness is not just because Im
gathering data to further my research, but also because my body and
mind feel their best at night. But that's not the case for everyone. I
know plenty of folks who function best in the early morning.
Do we learn our sleep patterns or are they hard-wired in us from the
start? Are there real biological differences between early risers and
night owls? Let's find out..
Are Night Owls Born or Raised?

Scientists have long believed that our preferred sleep patterns


(called our chronotypes) are genetically determined at birth.
After all, it makes evolutionary sense for people to have varied
sleep schedules. Someone needs to guard the cave at night!
I can also tell you from firsthand night owl experience that living with
an early riser has made caring for our infant much easier. There is
never a question of who should get up with her in the middle of the
night versus the early morning. (Dibs on the night!)
Our preferences for early riser versus night owl behavior are encoded
in genes called clock or period genes that regulate our circadian
rhythms and are thus linked to our blood pressure, metabolism, body
temperature, and hormone levels. Studies have shown links between
the length of certain period genes and peoples chronotypes, as well
as the amount of sleep they need per night.
Environmental cues like light and diet (called zeitgebers) can work
to alter our bodys sleep clock. Anyone who has taken an overnight
flight knows the groggy feeling of jet lag upon landing. Your body
feels like it's 3am while the sunrise outside tells your brain something
different. The glow of our tablets, smartphones, and televisions is
enough to delay the bodys nightly release of melatonin, the brains
message that it is time for sleep.

Are Early Risers More Successful?


You have probably heard that the early bird gets the worm, but given
that we are born with our chronotypes coded in, are early risers really
more successful?
The hard truth is that the vast majority of us have responsibilities that
do not allow us to sleep according to our bodys preferred schedule.
Most work days start between 7 and 9am, but for night owls, waking
this early can feel similar to the jet lag you experience after that
overnight flight. The feeling is so similar, in fact, that it has been
called social jetlag. So if you're an early riser, you tend to wake up
without this social jetlag, which means you have a distinct advantage
over night owls.
Our periods of alertness are linked to our bodies cortisol levels and
cortisol peaks just after waking, most likely in anticipation of the day.
However, early risers are already more alert in the morning than night
owls, giving them an extra boost of potential for productivity. Feeling
more alert and productive may be the reason early risers selfreport as happier, healthier, more optimistic, and more proactive.
There are also links between being an early riser and getting better
grades in school.
However, not all is lost for night owls......
Early risers may be more alert in the morning, but their focus has less
stamina. Sleep studies have shown that night owls show stronger
focus and longer attention spans compared to early risers when both
groups were tested 10 hours after waking.
And even though early risers get better grades, night owls tend to be
more creative and better risk-takers. Night owls are observed to have
higher levels of cortisol, perhaps due to the body making up for the
offset between the bodys natural rhythm and cues from the
environment, which can lead them to take more risks offering the
potential for higher reward. There is also evidence that night owls are
more intelligent on average.
In a recent study published in the journal of Personality and Individual
Differences, researchers observed over 700 people who showed a
split in personality traits for night owls versus early risers. The
morning lovers tended to be more persistent and resistant to

frustration, and also showed lower levels of anxiety. The night owls
were braver, but also more likely to develop addictive habits.
The true cause of these differences is still unclear. They may all be
tied to the same genes that determine our circadian rhythms. They
may instead be a result of this social jetlag leaving a permanent
imprint on our personalities. Likely, the answer is a combination of
both factors.
Are you a night owl or an early riser? How has this affected
your life?

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