A person who likes to stay up late and finds it hard to get out of bed in the morning is considered to be a night owl and has long been known to have a greater risk of developing diabetes and depression as compared to those early birds or those who go to bed early and have no problem waking up in the morning. According to a study published in the journal Chronobiology International, night owls are also at higher risk of dying earlier.
The link between a person’s natural inclination toward mornings or evenings and their risk of mortality were the main focus of the researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the University of Surrey in the U.K. The study has 433,368 participants, ages 38 to 73 years, and were asked if they are “definite morning type,” a “moderate morning type,” a “moderate evening type,” or a “definite evening type.” Then, deaths in the samples were monitored by the researchers over six and a half years.
Their findings showed that night owls died 10 percent faster than early birds. The results remained the same even after considering other expected health problems in night owls. Moreover, it was also revealed that night owls had higher rates of neurological problems, mental disorders, and diabetes.
Night owls trying to live a morning life are putting their life at risk. Your body clock times your life and everything you do is affected by it. It’s hard to wake up early in the morning while being active at night, and doing this for a long period of time may cause negative effects on the body.
Many environmental factors affect body clocks; however, most night owls are born that way instead of being influenced by outside factors.
A Guide To Better Sleep For Night Owls
Among adolescents, the habit of staying up late at night and waking up close to noon is most common because some of them are simply born that way or have temporary hormonal changes. But still, there are ways for those night owls to be well-rested.
Keep A Regular Schedule
It would be helpful for your body if you’ll be having regular sleep and wake up times. This will help prevent sleep problems such as insomnia. Plus, inadequate sleep and irregular hours may also contribute to unwanted weight gain. It is recommended to follow your schedule even during your days off or weekends.
Get Enough Sleep
A minimum of seven hours of sleep is needed by the average person to avoid fatigue. But because of school or work, this may be difficult. Take short snaps to catch up on rest if you can’t change your sleep habits or schedule classes or work in later hours.
Know When And How To Shut Down
Destressing, setting boundaries, and tuning out can be helpful for keeping sleep on track. You can set boundaries between sleep and work, emails or texts thus overcoming negative thoughts and establishing a pre-bedroom routine. There are also several relaxation techniques you can try to lessen stress and insomnia. A warm bath one to two hours before you sleep can also help since your body’s temperature drop from warm to cool stimulates drowsiness.
Exercise Regularly
A regular physical activity contributes to a healthy lifestyle. It is also important in resetting the internal body clock. Just don’t work out too close to your bedtime.
Use Light Properly
The use of light can help night owls adjust. Light can influence energy, mood, and immunity as well as the primary factor for resetting internal clocks. Get exposed to light early in the morning, and dim the lights at night. Avoid sleep distractions by turning off your TV, phone, and laptop before your sleep. Don’t let yourself drift to later bedtimes. Just stick to your regular sleep schedule.
