It is better to be a morning bird than a night owl because a healthy lifestyle is more attainable for morning people.
According to researchers at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Health, a healthy lifestyle means eating good foods, exercising, getting enough sleep, and going easy on alcohol, among other things. While a healthy lifestyle is not impossible for night owls, it comes quite easy for morning people.
People can easily adopt a healthy lifestyle in the morning because the U.S. promotes better habits in the morning than at night. According to researchers at Samaritan Health Services, a healthy lifestyle is easier to attain for a morning person because there are healthier options available in the morning. For example, gym classes, wholesome entertainment, and healthy food options are much harder to find late at night rather than early in the morning.
According to a study conducted by the United Kingdom Biobank, being a morning person makes you more likely to be a healthy person. This study was conducted on more than 430,000 participants and assessed the morning-ness and evening-ness of the participants. Despite the genetics of a night owl, they are at higher risk of mental illness, including depression, and schizophrenia. Furthermore, according to a study conducted by Chronobiology International, night owls are 10% more likely to die of any cause. This is mainly because they are at higher risk of neurological disorders, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory disorders, diabetes, and psychological disorders, according to Kristen Knutson, associate professor of neurology at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Dr. Reploeg, MD, from Samaritan Sleep Center, believes it is highly likely that night owls are more prone to death because the lifestyle they often live does not promote longevity.
“Various research has indicated that night owls are more prone to disease, depression, and alcohol and drug abuse…they also eat more calories, fewer vegetables, more caffeine and sugary beverages, more fast food, and get less exercise. It’s kind of a laundry list of ‘what not to do’ in terms of health,” Reploeg said.
This is often where a person interjects and says that they cannot wake up early because they have more energy at night and that to shift to the mornings is impossible. However, Reploeg believes that it is possible to shift from being a night owl to a morning lark by resetting your circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm is the body’s 24-hour cycle that uses external cues, such as sleep, light, and food, to regulate wake/sleep cycles through controlling hormones. While living the life of a night owl can mess up one’s circadian rhythm, it can be reset.
Here are a few ways to reset the circadian rhythm, according to Reploeg:
- Get early morning light in your eyes. It is reported that light is an essential cue in telling your body to regulate your circadian rhythm.
- Wake up a little earlier each day. If you move your alarm a bit earlier each morning, then you will allow your body to slowly adjust to its new schedule.
- Change when you eat. Eating actually cues your body when it is time to stay awake and exert energy and when it is time to rest.
- Make sure to exercise. According to Sleep and Biological Rhythms, when people exercise in the morning/early afternoon, they are able to adjust their sleep times better than those who do not exercise.
- Avoid screens before bed. Light is a signal to our body that it is time to wake up. So just as sunlight wakes us up in the morning, a screen light wakes us up too. This is why it is important to avoid phones and bright lights when going to bed so your body can properly rest.
While it is impossible to live a healthy lifestyle as a night owl, morning people have many more resources available to them to live a healthy life. This is why statistics show night owls as more prone to illness, disease, and death. Considering this, adapting your life and waking up earlier does not seem like such a hard challenge.
