It’s Okay That You’re Not a Morning Person

Are you a late sleeper? Does the light of early morning make you shrivel

like a vampire? Do you hit the snooze button more than once every  morning? Does your ideal morning consist of sleeping in until 11am?

Contrary to what you’ve probably been told, you’re not lazy. That’s right, hitting the snooze for an hour after your alarm starts blaring is not laziness… or a lack of willpower… or lack of motivation. Your body’s natural sleeping patterns are not your choice. In fact, they are mostly about genetics.

Research has shown that our natural sleeping habits, known as our

chronotype, are based on 3 conditions: exposure to light, age and genetics. While your chronotype is malleable, in that it can fluctuate with age and light exposure, it is heavily based on our inherited genes. So stop feeling guilty. A subtle difference in your clock genes is likely what makes your sleeping patterns so ingrained and why you can’t stop yawning at those early morning meetings while your grinning coworker has already run 5K and made an omelette beforehand.

That coworker has what is called an early chronotype, while one who

prefers to sleep in has a late chronotype. While one with an average chronotype goes to bed between 10 and 11pm and wakes up between 6 and 7am, some of us can’t help but deviate from that schedule. But whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, there are actually benefits to both ways of waking. You shouldn’t be quick to judge yourself for your sleeping habits.

The Early Riser/Early Bird

People who feel awake and energized in the earlier morning hours are often highly productive. They are able to use the morning time, when most others are still sleeping, to get projects done in a meditative, focused environment. They are thought to be happier and more accomplished. Early birds often go to sleep early and naturally wake up between 4 and 6am.

The Late Riser/Night Owl

If you wake up late, you probably go to bed late. Sure, there are sayings

like, the early bird gets the worm, but the early bird doesn’t get to enjoy the creative burst that most night owls get when the clock strikes midnight. Night owls are absolutely not lazy, getting a surge of strength, creativity and stamina at night while others prepare for bed. In fact, night owls may even be more likely to have high IQs. If you go to sleep well past 11 and prefer to sleep late if you can, your chronotype is more nocturnal.

It can be a real problem if your schedule doesn’t adhere to your chronotype. Studies have shown that when you mess with a person’s natural sleep schedule, they have a greater chance of developing insulin resistance and diabetes, depression and are more likely to take up smoking. So, while society’s schedule doesn’t always fit our own, do your best to listen to the needs of your body and at least make sure you’re not sleep deprived on weekdays by going to bed at a reasonable time.

A common issue many late risers have is the dreaded snooze button. If

you aren’t a morning person, it is likely that you’ll hit snooze for 30 minutes or more before you actually get out of bed. Think about it, that is an hour of poor quality sleep that really isn’t helping anybody. Do yourself a favor; Forget about snooze and start setting your alarm to go off an hour later. So what if you have to rush a little bit? A solid hour of undisturbed sleep can make a big difference in your overall mood and productivity, especially if you aren’t a fan of morning time.

The moral of the story is to go to sleep when you’re tired and wake up

when you’re ready. If you have to use an alarm, set it for when you have to wake up and stopping whacking the snooze. When it comes to sleep, it is best to keep things simple and effective.

Just as one diet does not fit all, one way of sleeping is not right for everybody. Embrace your natural sleep patterns and ditch the guilt! You aren’t weak. You don’t lack motivation. You’re just giving your body what it needs to function at its absolute best. What kind of sleeper are you? Please share!

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This is great information!  I used to be a night owl, but over the years have become a morning person. I firmly believe that having kids has something to do with this as it’s hard to sleep late with a little one in the house… 🙂 Even if the kiddo’s are grown, it’s a habit that isn’t easy to break, so, as a result, I am now a “morning” person… Whodda thunk it???

Let me know what you think?