Why are we either night owls or early birds and is change possible?
Ever since as far back as I can remember I’ve been a night owl – far more focussed, energetic and motivated during the late evenings.
This was back when I had a forced routine of going to bed ‘early’ to wake up for school.
Even in adult life where I’ve both had a choice or been forced into a routine of waking up at early hours due to a job I’ve found that hasn’t changed. I function better at night, no matter what routine I get into.
Is there a reason for this and is change possible? Are there also ‘Mid day people’?
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Being a night owl or early bird is tied to our circadian rhythms. Those who have a shorter cycle are early risers, longer cycles are night owls. Sometimes this can be changed, but it’s possible there are genetic aspects that make this harder. I’m a night owl who never has gotten used to waking up early; even with good sleep hygiene it just never works for me. There are also people on the 24-hour cycle, which leads to more of a ‘balance’ for lack of a better term.
I do wonder if there’s an evolutionary component as well; if you have a variety of sleep cycles, that leads to more people being awake at different times of the day, and thus more people to watch for predators, gather resources, etc. But I can’t speak on that part for certain.
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