Your Inner Clock
By Louisa Hall
I never realized how much of a morning person I was until I met my college roommate. I would be up before 6 am, studying for an exam as she snoozed until the last possible moment to head to class. When it came to bedtime, I would be settling down with a cup of tea and a book to read at around 9:30 pm while my roommate on the other hand, would be in the library just starting her homework. I knew that even if I tried to study or get homework done at night that my productivity decreased significantly after 9 pm but, if I woke up early, I would have more energy and concentration to work on all my daily tasks.
I started to wonder what made a person a “morning bird” versus a “night owl.”
Some of my questions included: Can one change their orientation towards being an early riser and a late night person over time if they wanted to? What about those who consider themselves as both – what does that mean? What if this whole idea is merely a myth and not biological at all? These questions fueled my quest to discover what researchers have uncovered about what drives a person in becoming either an early riser or a late night person.
To start, I will address whether the idea that people are night or morning oriented is supported by science. Honestly, I was a little skeptical. Couldn’t someone choose if they wanted to be a morning or night person and then adapt accordingly? Maybe not. I found research that genetics plays a pivotal role in setting your circadian rhythm. In simple terms, your circadian rhythm operates like a 24-hour internal clock that is occurring in your brain. It is responsible for the times you may feel more tired or energized. Typically, there is a specific pattern to one’s circadian rhythm that is evident such as one may consistently notice they feel tired at a certain point in the evening.
Geneticists have discovered that some people’s “inner clocks” run faster or slower than others. The believe these differences are linked to an individual’s genetic code. In short, we cannot change our wake/sleep cycles; we were born this way!
Chronotype is the scientific word for your body’s biological clock. In addition to a preference for either early-rising productivity or night-time activity, some individuals identify with neither. They might find themselves more energized during other random hours of the day or needing to take additional naps throughout the day to feel re-energized. In response, researchers have developed additional chronotypes that include the “napper” and the “afternoon.”
To describe each, consider two friends named Jeremiah and Harry. First, let’s take a look into Jeremiah’s wake/sleep patterns. Jeremiah often wakes up around 7 am each morning. He is typically alert during the beginning hours of the day, but when it reaches between the hours of 11 am and 3 pm he often feels drowsy and requires a nap. After taking a nap, he usually feels re-energized until nighttime approaches and then heads to bed at around 10 pm or so. Jeremiah is an example of the “napper” chronotype.
Second, we have Harry. Harry has a very difficult time in the morning getting up (arguably even more so than the “night” person). Finally, at around 11 am or so he starts to feel more alert which will last until about 5 pm. Harry then feels a decreasing lack of energy and will remain drowsy until bed. Harry is an example of the “afternoon” chronotype.
Obviously, these two friends wake/sleep cycles vary from one another in accordance to when they feel more alert or lack thereof. Instituting these two additional chronotypes helps with the categorizing of individuals who may not identify with the original chronotypes (night and morning) – maybe you even identify with the “napper” or the “afternoon” chronotype?
Finally, you may be wondering why it matters to know whether you are a “morning,” “night,” “napper,” or “afternoon” chronotype? Maybe it means you can blame the hard mornings of getting out of bed on your circadian rhythm, but perhaps you can also now learn to adapt and listen to the way your “inner clock” is genetically designed. I think a little too often we can try to change our orientation of what are natural circadian rhythm is, or we may think a morning person is more productive and begin to believe that one type is better over the other. Perhaps it is true we live in a biased “early bird” benefited world, but in reality each chronotype has its benefits and deficiencies.
If you are interested in learning more about sleep, circadian rhythms, and the influence sleep has on our daily lives, check out the National Sleep Foundation.
Resources
Dengler, R. (2019, January 29). What makes a morning person? Scientists identify new genetics behind early risers. Discover. https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/what-makes-a-morning-person-scientists-identify-new-genetics-behind-early-risers
National Sleep Foundation (n.d.) What is circadian rhythm? National Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/what-circadian-rhythm
Taylor, M. (2020, January 23). How to find your chronotype — and get the best sleep of your life. Early Bird by Amerisleep. https://amerisleep.com/blog/what-is-your-chronotype/