You may already have noticed that night owls find it hard to wake up in the morning or function without caffeine. On the other hand, we see that self-proclaimed ‘morning persons’ tend to walk out of their rooms humming or with a huge smile on their face. They have this can-do-all attitude that seems impossible for late-night sleepers to achieve.
We’ve often heard that early bird gets the worm, but is that all? Not only do morning people find it easier to get out of bed, there are quite some other things that benefit their life. They tend to function better than late-night sleepers as they are less exhausted and tired throughout the day. But most importantly, morning people are happier overall and lead healthier, more productive lives. This better well-being and raised serotonin levels are all associated with their healthy sleeping habits.
Here’s an outlook on what makes early risers happier than other people.
Early Risers vs. Night Owls
There are many reasons backing up why people who get up early are in a better mood. Let us have a look at factors that differentiate night owls from early rising larks and how the latter is more well-adjusted and happy.
Circadian Cycle
Simply put, circadian rhythms are sleep-wake cycles in the body of any living organism, including human beings. An internal body process regulates this circadian cycle, which repeats every 24 hours. For the body to function properly and get more work done, it is important to be in sync with the circadian rhythm.
The sleeping and waking habits of a morning person makes it easier for them to follow their body clock. This makes them feel more active and productive. On the other hand, what makes it hard for late-night sleepers is that they go to bed late at night and defy their cycle by waking up early for work or school. This affects their activity and productivity levels, as well as their overall health.
Chronotypes
Chronotype is another relevant factor that affects people’s well-being and mood. It refers to an individual’s circadian typology and differences in the sleep activity and alertness at different times of the day. Your chronotype tells your optimal functioning time. This is when your body tends to functions at its best. This is different for everyone, which can prove beneficial if it aligns with work shifts.
What’s interesting about chronotypes is that it can be classified into different groups. It can be gender-based, age-relevant or even directed by genes.
Gender
Research and studies show that more women tend to be morning larks. Meanwhile, most men are night owls. In this case, women carry the morning chronotype whereas men possess the evening chronotype. This suggests that people with morning chronotype are their peak activity levels during the beginning hours of the day, and vice versa.
Age
Studies suggest that the chronotype of a person tends to change after adolescence period. During the teenage years, people tend to carry the evening chronotype. However, it tends to change into the morning chronotype with an increase in age. Therefore, morning-ness is more common in older people as opposed to teenagers.
Gene
It is believed that your genes play a role the type of chronotype a person possesses.
However, there is not enough research to support this concept.
Wrapping Up
Various research findings suggest a relationship between being a morning person and having an improved mental health. Morning people experience better activity levels and happier moods. Not to mention, they are more productive and get more work done. In addition, they face a lower risk of developing psychological conditions like schizophrenia and depression.
Experiments show that making changes to your sleeping schedule can give you an improved mood and better productivity. You can try resetting your alarm to an hour before than your usual wake-up time to notice differences. Morning people also tend to get more sunlight, which also improves their health and mood to a great extent.