"Then there's the more readily apparent downside to being a night owl: The fact that it can conflict with your family life or professional responsibilities," says Dr. Ayish. "Night owls have been shown to have poorer attention, slower reaction times and increased sleepiness throughout the day.
In fact, we advocate it as one of the most crucial things to stay healthy throughout. But if your lifestyle gives you the liberty to wake up late and stay up late too, might as well create a healthy routine out of it. Moreover, being a night owl can also have several benefits.
"The human clock is about 24 hours, thanks to Earth's 24-hour light-dark cycle," Sharkey says. "But some people have a slightly longer natural cycle, and some are slightly shorter." If your circadian rhythm is on the long side, you're more likely to be a night owl. If it runs short, you're probably an early riser.
If you prefer to go to bed and get up later – a sleep chronotype known as being a night owl – you may be at higher risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease, a new study found. Night owls were more sedentary, had lower aerobic fitness levels and burned less fat at rest and while active than early birds in the study.
Studies show that night owls and those who wake up later actually are smarter and more creative than their early rising counterparts. They also have higher IQs according to The Independent. Unfortunately, night owls have slightly lower academic scores than early risers (by about 8%).
Night owls -- people who prefer to stay up late and sleep late -- have 10 percent higher risk of dying sooner than larks, people who go to bed early and rise early, reports a new study.
One of the best-known night owls was Albert Einstein, the genius scientist who formulated the Theory of Relativity, and Charles Darwin, the naturalist who developed the Theory of Evolution.
Some night owls have a preference or habit for staying up late, or stay up to work the night shift. Night owls who work the day shift often have difficulties adapting to standard daytime working hours. Night owls have often been blamed for unpunctuality or attitude problems.
Bedtime: Between 2 and 3 A.M. Wake-up time: Between 9 and 11 A.M.
What's a night owl? Night owls tend to: stay up late. enjoy sleeping in. feel their best later in the day.
But, being a night owl may also just be in your genes. "A recent study has actually shown that a genetic change in a gene called CRY1 is common among people who have a condition called delayed sleep phase disorder, or DSPD," explains Dr. Ayish.
But having night-owl tendencies may come with serious health effects. Recent studies have discovered that, regardless of their lifestyle, people who stay up late had both higher levels of body fat and an increased risk of developing other health problems, such as diabetes and low muscle mass, than did early birds.
Science now proves that birds of any feather are born that way. The time you naturally wake is called your chronotype, and it is in your DNA. Your chronotype is set by your biological clock – also referred to as an internal or circadian clock, the latter named for the 24-hour day-night cycle.
Some research indicates that it may have a stronger effect on night owls. When night owls are exposed only to natural light, their internal body clocks shift earlier. Exposure to bright light in the morning is considered one of the best ways to become more of a morning person and shift your chronotype earlier.
According to research conducted by Northwestern Medicine in the US, and the University of Surrey in the UK, “night owls” have a 10 percent higher risk of dying sooner than “larks”. Out of almost half a million participants the study found 50,000 people were more likely to die over a six and a half year period.
Night owls have special strength
The study found that the strength of morning people remained stable throughout the day, while night owls showed a burst of strength in the evening, the result of increased motor cortex and spinal cord excitability working together in the evening hours.
We're as misunderstood as introverts. My guess is most night owls are introverts. We stay up late because it's the only time we can really be alone and enjoy that glorious gift of solitude. We have the world to ourselves.
A greater proportion of night owls have been found to exhibit traits of extraversion, narcissism, Machiavellism, impulsivity, novelty-seeking, and risk-taking. Meanwhile, we tend to think of early birds in terms of being conscientious, disciplined, and emotionally stable.
Einstein Slept Only 3 Hours a Year.
Most Geniuses Perfected the Power Nap
Hence, they'd reduce the time they rest at night in order to have more functional, waking hours. Instead, they'd take advantage of the so-called “power nap”. Both Nicola Tesla and Thomas Edison were famous advocates of this principle.
He says he likes getting around six to six-and-a-half hours of sleep per night. Sleeping in is not an option for him, saying it affects his performance more than if he sleeps less. After getting up, he showers, dresses, and enjoys a morning cup of coffee.
Night owls thrive after dark and may struggle to wake at sunrise, requiring multiple alarms. This chronotype is typically more creative in the afternoon and evening. According to researchers, while a third of the population doesn't have a strongly defined chronotype, 30 percent are ascribed night owls.
For some, it's simply because there are fewer distractions and they can focus more easily. Others find that they're more productive when they have uninterrupted time to work. And still others find that they do their best thinking when it's quiet and they can think more creatively.