Today, let’s explore the perks and problems of being a night owl in a lark’s world and what you can do to survive and thrive in a lark’s world.
But before we dive in, keep in mind that there are more types of people when it comes to sleep patterns: a night owl, a lark and afternoon type, and napper type.
If you want, you can do a test yourself here.
Alright, let’s get started.
The Perks
There are reasons to be proud of being a night owl.
They tend to have a higher IQ. Research shows, “More intelligent children are more likely to grow up to be nocturnal adults who go to bed late and wake up late on both weekdays and weekends.”
They score higher on general intelligence tests. According to a University of Madrid’s study on seep patterns of 1,000 teens, night owls scored higher on inductive reasons tests, which is related to general intelligence, thank their early riser counterparts.
They could be more creative. A study shows that night owls are more likely to develop creative solutions to solutions than morning people.
They tend to stay alert longer than the lark. Research found that “10.5 hours after waking up, early birds have lower activity in brain regions linked to attention and the circadian master clock, compared to night owls.”
They can be successful in life, too. Famous night owls include President Obama, Charles Darwin, Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, and Elvis Presley.
Read more: 7 Reasons to Be Proud of Being a Night Owl (HuffPost)
The Problems
Life is a great balancing act. You get something and lose another.
Because most of the societies we live in today operate on a lark’s schedules, night owls face greater health and psychological risks. Here are some problems you need to be aware of as a night person.
Owls are poor at regulating their emotions than larks. A new study has found links between our “chronotype” and the way we handle emotions, reflect on our thoughts and feelings, and assert ourselves. Overall, owls do worse.
Night people have higher health risks than early risers. Those health risks mainly include obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. This may be due to the poorer eating behavior and diet in night owls.
They are likely to die prematurely. The same study found that night owls are 10% more likely to die prematurely when compared with morning people.
Owls experience jet lag every day. Research found that night owls experience something akin to jet lag every day.
Night people have increased risk of depression. Some studies suggest that night owls have an increased risk of depression when compared with morning larks.
Further reading:
- Night Owls May Use Poorer Emotion Regulation Strategies Than Early Birds (British Psychological Society)
- What Are the Perks and Problems of Being a Night Owl (Medical News Today)
Tips for Night Owls
You don’t have to join the 5am club to be successful, but you must learn to take of yourself better.
Here are two important tips especially for night poeple:
- Get enough sleep. Six to eight hours each night is normal but check with your body. Test yourself to find the right time of sleep you need each day.
- Avoid unhealthy late-night snacking. Most of the health problems happen due to the bad eating behaviors. It’s good to limit caloric intake after 8 p.m. to prevent putting on extra pounds.
Of course, you must adopt other healthy behaviors just like your lark counterparts.
Further reading:
- 17 Proven Proven Tips to Sleep Better at Night (Heatlhline)
- 10 Healthy and Nutritious Late-Night Snacks (VeryWellFit)
Work Tips for Night Owls
Finally, here are some work tips if you’re a night person:
- Get enough sleep. Can’t emphasize this enough – the importance of sleep and rest. 6 to 8 hours but find the time that is right for you.
- Listen to your body. Know how to optimize your energy for high performance. If you focus better in the afternoon, go ahead do your most important work then.
- Take a nap! If you have to wake up early for work, it is important for you to take a nap. Again, the important of sleep and rest.
Read: Are You a Night Owl Living in an Early Bird’s World? (Freedom)
That’s it.
Thanks for reading.