An article from Saxena Lab explains that whether someone is a “morning person” or a “night owl" is about 20-50% influenced by their genetics. A large study of nearly 700,000 people identified 351 genetic variants linked to sleep timing. These genes affect the body’s internal clock, which controls sleep, energy levels, hormones, and hunger. Differences in how people respond to light may explain why some people naturally stay up later than others. However, in modern times most people do not wake up naturally and rely on an alarm of sorts to wake them for their daily obligations (such as work or school) so people are much less likely to wake up at their "natural" time. Furthermore, another article suggests that ignoring your internal alarm aka circadian rhythm, may be unhealthy and linked to several mental and physical illnesses. All in all, while there is a genetic link for the time you wake up, many modern obligations and environmental factors are more influential on you circadian rhythm.
This was really interesting. I’ve always been more of a night owl, but I force myself to wake up early for classes/work and it never feels natural. Kinda crazy that genetics and your circadian rhythm play a role. The part about modern schedules messing with our sleep is so real too. My siblings are also the same way. We've all been night owls for our whole lives.
ReplyDeleteAnthony,
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I am definitely a morning person... I wake up naturally around 7-7:30 everyday and once I am awake I am ready to talk, eat, workout, or anything. I am glad to learn that ignoring your internal clock can be harmful because I always try to go to bed around the same time because it makes me function better the next day. The statistic of 20-25% of whether someone is a "morning person" or a "night owl" is a pretty substantial percentage. I never knew this information but now it will help me make decisions everyday to follow my own circadian rhythm.
Brooke