Differences in sleeping patterns: The early birds and night owls
Have you ever heard of these terms (night owl and early bird) before? They were coined to describe the two main types of people regarding their sleeping habits. Night owls typically go later to bed and wake up later, representing approximately 30% of the world population, whereas the early birds, representing approximately 40% of the population, prefer going earlier and waking up earlier. As the biological clock in a person keeps its rhythm even when they try to change it, these two types will follow their own times if not disrupted by night internet/TV use or morning alarms. The other 30% of the population lays in between these two main types.
The main characteristics of these two types go beyond their different sleep patterns, as it affects their energy levels, mood, and preferred eating times. The energy levels differ, as the early birds besides waking up earlier, are more active in the morning, while night owls are generally more active in the late afternoon and evening, typically after 4 pm. Measuring a curve of brain activity it is clear to see that in one type the brain is more active and open for learning in the morning, while for the other it is much easier to perform intellectual activities later in the day. Considering the current education system in most countries, night owls struggle with the rhythm of morning classes and many are called lazy for being the way they are. Comparing early birds and night owls, it is like having different time zones, as they would even prefer eating at different times of the day.
But why are there these differences? According to human evolution in tribes, these two different sleep patterns developed to permit better survival rates among the tribes. The striving tribes would have people staying awake to keeping guard until approximately 1 am, while other members would already be sleeping to wake up at 5 am, therefore having only 4 hours without defense in comparison to the standard 8 hours of sleep if everyone would sleep at the same time.
How to recognise these two types: night owls get to bed later and struggle to wake up early in the morning if they have to go to school or work, for example. Morning birds get sleepy earlier in the evening and generally wake up earlier full of energy already and kind of hyperactive. According to studies, none of these types depend on people’s willingness but are hard-wired with the DNA. A night owl will have one of the parents with similar characteristics.
When one type lives or works with the other type, it is important to understand these differences, as it can facilitate the relationship and provide a mutual benefit from the best times for each. Some companies, for example, offer flexible starting time so the night owls can come a bit later to the office and perform until later in the day when for the early bird, they prefer to be done earlier in the day. Overall, the understanding and adaptation of habits according to the different sleeping patterns are probably the best approach to find a balance for both parts.
And you, are you an early bird or a night owl?
