Early Bird or Night Owl? The Difference May Affect Your Life

A number of studies over the past few years have found that those who get up early are generally happier than those who sleep in. They’re less likely to be diagnosed with narcissism or depression or to take antidepressants.

photo credit: publicdomainpictures.net
photo credit: publicdomainpictures.net

But one recent study, for example, found that young adults who stay up late and sleep late are, on average, smarter than their counterparts who have a more traditional sleep schedule.
Other studies show that they’re also more alert, have better memories, and are more social, smarter, and more creative.

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Armin Brott

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Armin Brott is the proud father of three, a former U.S. Marine, a best-selling author, radio host, speaker, and one of the country’s leading experts on fatherhood. He writes frequently about fatherhood, families, and men's health. Read more about Armin or visit his website, mrdad.com. You can also connect via social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,  and Linkedin.

4 Comments

  1. Zak HinesJuly 6, 2015

    Really liked this post! As a night owl that occasionally swaps over to early bird, I’ve definitely seen the positive and negative aspects of both. While getting up early is often difficult, I’ve found that once I’m awake, it’s really calm and peaceful early in the morning. On the other hand, night has the benefit of spending time with friends, catching up on a favorite Netflix series, or getting ready for a test. I think in the end I will try to convert to an early bird on a permanent basis once I graduate from college. You get more time in your day, the peacefulness of early morning, and getting started is too much to pass up.

  2. SophiaJuly 6, 2015

    This is a really interesting piece! I like how it balances the stereotype that people who like to sleep in are lazy. Both types of people have their advantages, such as enjoying calm early mornings or hanging out with friends late at night, as Zak pointed out. Personally, I’m naturally an early bird and like to stick to a consistent sleep schedule, but will definitely give that up once in a while for the night-owl benefits.

  3. TyrusJuly 6, 2015

    This was a very interesting article and I have experienced the effects of both though I prefer the night owl status. Hopefully as I grow older I lean more to the early bird role or maybe find a good balance between them.

  4. Harry deCaboJuly 9, 2015

    As a someone who tends to stay up pretty late, I would like to think that I am more intelligent than my more self-disciplined counterparts. However, these findings should probably be taken with a grain of salt. Correlation does not always imply causation. If it did, this study would mean that all college students are geniuses!

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