Night owl or early bird? Our parents yearned for the answer to this question ever since we started establishing a sleep schedule. I know that I have always been a natural night owl as ever since I was a kid, my parents would have to beg me to go to bed and they wouldn’t see me before 9 am. I still have no problems staying up through the night, but try to get me to wake up at 6 am? I would laugh in your face. It’s not that I wouldn’t love to be a morning person, it’s that I would have to reprogram my sleep schedule because I don’t go to bed before midnight almost ever. I am constantly appalled that some people go to bed at 10:30 and I envy the amount of sleep they get. Now, this internal clock is not the case for everyone, as some people are forced into being a night owl or an early bird for various reasons. Working the night-shift or having to get up for an early commute time are reasons people are molded into being a night person or early bird. I know that I have molded into an even later night person because of my schedule.

My brother is a natural early bird whether he would like me to admit that or not. When he tries to stay up, it is evident that he is lacking sleep and would thrive in the morning if he just went to bed earlier. I believe there is much value to be an early bird as an article I was reading states that “early birds procrastinate less” and “early birds tend to be more agreeable” as their productivity levels are extremely high. Early birds seem to go to bed earlier as well, thus, meaning more sleep for the average student or a worker at a day-job. The phrase “early bird gets the worm” is a popular one because as the night owls are sleeping in, the early-birds have already completed like 10 tasks. I would give a lot to be able to finish everything by around 10:30 pm and get up around 6:30, ready for a successful day. Yet my schedule consists of me staying up between midnight and hopefully 1 and yearning for more sleep at 7 am.

Now the question is whether you are naturally born either a night person or an early person. You can definitely make yourself either, but I do believe a lot people have a natural preference or calling to the morning or the night. However, there are definitely in the middle of the two extremes, and that is perfectly normal and practical. Reasons for being a natural night person or early person can be attributed to genetic reasons as there are genes that determine whether there are tissues in a person’s eyes that determine how their brain behaves when exposed to light, which determines their natural clock from the beginning.

In the end, embrace whether you are a night person or an early person and use whatever you are drawn to as an advantage. For most, there is a peak time when you have the most energy so try and be extremely productive during that time. Remember, coffee is a great solution, but I have no doubts that you could be the most extreme night person and still survive without it!!