Are You a Morning Person?
Some people jump out of bed at six, full of energy, while others can barely open their eyes before nine and only start thinking clearly in the late afternoon. For a long time, the second group was often described as lazy. Sleep researchers now see it differently: much of the difference comes from a person's chronotype, the natural timing of their internal body clock.
Every one of us has an internal rhythm of roughly twenty-four hours that controls when we feel sleepy, when our body temperature rises and falls, and when we are most alert. In some people this clock runs a little early, and in others it runs a little late. The tendency is partly inherited, which is why "night owls" often have parents who were night owls too.
Chronotype also changes with age. Young children tend to wake up early, which many tired parents know very well. During the teenage years, the body clock usually shifts later, so a sixteen-year-old who cannot fall asleep before midnight is not necessarily being difficult. In later adulthood, many people gradually become early risers again.
This has practical consequences. Schools and workplaces are mostly organised around an early schedule, which suits morning types and puts evening types at a disadvantage. A night owl who must start work at eight may spend the first hours of the day performing well below their real ability. Some schools have experimented with later start times for older students, and several have reported that students arrive more awake.
None of this means that a night owl is stuck forever. Morning light, a regular bedtime and avoiding bright screens late at night can all move the body clock a little earlier. But the change is usually modest. The more useful lesson may be simply to know your own rhythm, and, where possible, to save your most demanding tasks for the hours when your mind is at its best.