For years, I have considered myself an early bird as my school starts at 7, the time which barely any night owl can survive. But what if I’m free to choose what time I go to school, then, what would I be, an early bird or a night owl?
What’s an early bird? What’s a night owl?
In short, early birds tend to wake up and go to sleep earlier in the day while night owls tend to wake up and go to bed later.
Advantages of being an early bird
Study shows that being an early bird may find it easier to adjust their standard daytime schedules, therefore make it easier to take part in activities that operate during the day.
In additionally, early birds are perceived by the society as being more agreeable and conscientious than the night owls.
Disadvantages of being a night owl
Since our daily life routine often structured around the 9-5 schedule (start at 9 AM and end in 5 PM), it’s a huge disadvantage for the night owls. Researchers have called this phenomenon as social jetlag to describe the difficulty in accomodate a social norm.
Research also pointed out that a night owl may have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and depression. They also perform worse in tests compare to their early bird peer while being perceived as more negative and stressed.