Read any interview with an Olympian, A-lister or high-flying entrepreneur and they’ll likely reference rising at the crack of dawn, whether to train, meditate or start firing off emails. The idea that ‘the early bird catches the worm’ has such a grip on society that getting up as early as 5am has become synonymous with good health and success. However, research suggests that only 5 to 10 percent of people are true ‘larks’, with most people preferring to go to bed and wake up later.
Unfortunately, being a night owl could put us at a serious disadvantage when it comes to long-term health. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that late types could be 19 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than early birds. The study also found that night owls were more likely to have unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, inadequate sleep, and low levels of physical activity.
Luckily, it is possible to ‘retrain’ ourselves to have a healthier sleep type. Each of us has a ‘chronotype’ or circadian preference, which refers to our preferred timing of sleep and waking. This is mostly determined by genetics but can also be influenced by factors such as hormones. Our sleep-wake times have some flexibility, and with a strict routine and exposure to early morning light, it is possible to shift our chronotype.
However, it’s important not to sacrifice sleep duration in the process. Sleep is essential for our overall well-being, and while it may be more convenient to be a morning person, it shouldn’t come at the expense of getting enough sleep.
Factors such as genetics and hormonal changes throughout our lives shape our chronotype. For example, from the age of ten, there is a tendency to want to go to bed later and later. In our 20s, there is a shift towards becoming more of a morning person again, and by our late 50s or early 60s, we tend to have sleep and wake times similar to when we were children.
One of the most important factors in changing our chronotype is exposure to light. Morning light helps advance our body clock, making it easier to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. On the other hand, exposure to light in the evening has the opposite effect. Simply sitting by a window or turning on lights is not enough; we need to be exposed to bright morning light. Ideally, 30 minutes of outdoor light with a minimum of 10,000 lux is recommended.
Combining light exposure with exercise can also help shift our body clock and improve our metabolism. Morning exercise can act synergistically with morning light exposure to help us become more of a morning person.
In conclusion, while it may be a challenge for night owls to become morning people, it is possible to shift our chronotype by following a strict routine, exposing ourselves to morning light, and incorporating exercise into our daily routine. However, it’s important to prioritize getting enough sleep for our overall health and well-being.
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