A recent study suggests that being an early riser or being a night owl could be influenced by your genes by observing and comparing the genomes of about 90,000 subjects. In this study, 15 genes were discovered to either be in favor or against “morningness”. I see myself as a night owl and definitely not a morning person. My father is the same way. However, my mother is definitely an early riser and not a night owl. My two brothers (one younger and one younger) are definitely night owls similar to my father and I. I would like to read further into this to see if it could be sex linked or just a normal autosomal inheritance. I would like to know whether being an early riser is a dominant or recessive gene. The article also discusses how some genes may have to blueprint of some sleep disorders. My family on my mother’s side suffer from many different sleep disorders, and I believe I may suffer from some as well. This article has sparked my interest into digging deeper into the research and data displaying information on sleep and inheritance.
This is so awesome to read because I personally have always said how I am a night owl! I knew there was something more to it than just liking to sleep in! I physically just feel exhausted in the morning no matter how much I sleep the night before. To find that recent studies have found a link between this and our genes is extremely amusing to me and literally explains why I prefer the night over waking up early and having to go on about my day early in the morning!
ReplyDeleteInteresting viewpoint on morning/night people. I was going to say I'm personally a morning person, so are both of my parents, however my brother is not. So being a morning person couldn't be autosomal recessive in the case you were presenting. However like you mentioned toward the end, there are most likely other factors being initially affected that cause the "morning person" or "night owl" phenotype. Once I wake up in the morning I can't fall back asleep, so it could have to do with that disorder. Or I just have a gene that makes me really stoked about life and therefore want to jump out of bed and do stuff as soon as I wake up. Who knows...
ReplyDeleteThis was really interesting. I definitely consider myself either or but most of the time I always find myself waking up in the morning regardless of how many hours I sleep. I always wake up around 7:00 in the morning along with the rest of my family. Could this be genetics or are we all just use to waking up at this time.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that being a night owl or early riser real does seem to depend on genetics. I have noticed it in my family in the form of sex linked recessive. This is because on my mother's side her father is a night owl, making her a night owl and then to me so I expect based on that inference that if I ever have a daughter, she might be a night owl. The same thing goes on my father's side where his mother is a day riser, making him the riser, and then onto my sister who also seems to follow in the same step. Based on that assumption, if she ever has a son he will probably be a day riser. Overall, these are assumptions and inferences I have made on my family hope this becomes researched carefully because it seems that genes and the pattern does indeed go hand in hand.
ReplyDeleteI have always been an early riser as well as my mother and father however, my mother is a napper. I could not sleep during the day if you paid me. I wonder how many people who are early risers do so because they have a chance to sleep earlier than the night owls out there or if its just an internal alarm clock. I believe my early riser trait is influenced my my massive fear of missing out (FOMO). When the suns up I am up because I am afraid I will miss all of the days adventures!
ReplyDeleteThis is always interesting. I am a night owl but I feel like I am slowly changing into more of a morning person. I had to take a psychology class a few semesters ago and the professor actually said you can change what type of person you are, whether it be a morning person or a night owl.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though I fluctuate being a morning person and a night owl. Typically I stay up late, and wake up late, but I find that I wake up after only about 5 hours of sleep and am ready to start my day. I believe it mostly has to do with what I had going on that night and what I have to do for that day.
ReplyDelete@Tyler Grace....yes I believe you can change it too and that it may be more psychological than physiological! I used to be a night owl but as I have gotten older, I find myself waking up early no matter what time I went to sleep or what I did the night before.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't think of a more appropriate topic for a college blog. Sleep habits are an extremely complex issue, and it's cool to see potential genetic component brought up. For me, I believe that environmental factors have dictated whether or not I was a night owl or morning person. I just adapt based on the situation that I'm in, but I'm sure that some people are programmed to be just one or the other.
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