When Tess’s alarm goes just before 9am, she groans and switches it off. The 28-year-old was up until 2am. What started as grabbing half an hour’s viewing on Netflix developed into a three-hour marathon. Then, once in bed, Tess checked her emails, social media and WhatsApp messages and it was after 4am before she finally nodded off.
‘I’m just not a morning person,’ confides Tess, who’s studying for a master’s in Statistics. ‘I find it hard to get going until lunchtime. Over the years I’ve missed trains and flights because I didn’t get up in time. I’m late to lectures, interviews and appointments because I can’t be up and at it early.
‘I’ve tried going to bed earlier but it feels like a waste of time lying there, trying desperately hard to sleep when I’m completely wide awake.’
Named after the birds that sing before dawn, larks wake up refreshed and energised, bounce out of bed and are most productive in the early part of the day. They’re the human equivalent of the early bird that catches the worm
Experts say Tess is very clearly an owl – the type of person who likes to stay up late and burn the midnight oil when she’s more energetic and alert. Famous owls include the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, The Lord of the Rings author J R R Tolkien, former US president Barack Obama and American actor John Travolta.
Owls are the opposite of larks. Named after the birds that sing before dawn, larks are those who wake up refreshed and energised, bounce out of bed with a spring in their step and are most productive in the early part of the day. They’re the human equivalent of the early bird that catches the worm.
Natural Born Chronotypes
Dubai-based life coach Amanda Davies explains: ‘The terms larks and night owls are lovely visual descriptions for morning and evening people. They’re our chronotypes – our internal preferences and natural inclinations for what time we go to sleep and wake up.
‘Of course, we don’t all fit into the strictly lark or owl categories. About 60 per cent of us fall across the spectrum, somewhere in between the two, but enough to identify ourselves as one or the other.’
‘Research suggests that owls may be more prone to certain health issues, such as sleep and mood disorders. They have a more sedentary lifestyle than larks so they have a lower aerobic fitness because they burn less fat’
And there are sometimes advantages to being an owl or a lark. ‘Larks’ sleeping schedules align more closely with usual work times and societal norms, making it easier to maintain regular routines and family commitments,’ adds Amanda.
‘In Dubai, they’re members of the ‘5am club’ and spend the early morning outside embracing sunshine, walking, exercising, practising yoga in the parks and jogging at the beach. Many activities such as water sports, jet ski-ing, sky diving and desert safari start early in the morning to escape the heat of the midday sun.
‘Meanwhile, owls are more flexible in the late afternoon and evening. Their problem-solving abilities and creativity will be at their best in the later hours. They enjoy a vibrant night life, and in places like Dubai, a 24-hour tourist and business destination, they make the most of shops and supermarkets open until 10pm, and cinemas and sports venues which stay open as late as 2am during Ramadan.’
Owl Pitfalls
But there’s a downside for owls too. ‘While larks are seen as diligent, productive and disciplined because they wake up early and start the day with energy and enthusiasm,’ Amanda says, ‘owls can be labelled as lazy, unproductive and less motivated.
‘Research suggests that owls may be more prone to certain health issues, such as sleep and mood disorders. They have a more sedentary lifestyle than larks so they have a lower aerobic fitness because they burn less fat at rest than larks.
‘Their loss of sleep, misalignment of the body clock through poor sleeping patterns, and exposure to less morning light have all been shown to affect insulin sensitivity, which has been linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.’
Often, we fall into a routine that suits our body clock. Larks wake with the sun and go for the early bird jobs like baristas in coffee shops, that start with a 6am shift and finish at 2pm when their energy is waning, while owls are ideal for shifts that offer late nights and even later mornings.
But when we need to make a permanent change, whether that’s beginning a new job with 8am starts, having to catch a regular 5.30am flight, or getting up with school-age children, that’s when the problems start for owls.
‘Night Owls’ loss of sleep, misalignment of the body clock, and exposure to less morning light have all been shown to affect insulin sensitivity, which has been linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes’
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a sleep expert and author of Finding Inner Safety – The key to healing, thriving, and overcoming burnout – stresses that with a few lifestyle changes, we can switch our body clock over time.
‘We’re born with a predisposition towards one or the other, but it’s not just embedded in you from birth – it’s also behavioural,’ she says. ‘If you want to, you can change your own energy pattern.’
So how can we rise and shine earlier in the day and become more lark? Amanda and Dr Nerina share their tips.
Believe In Your Inner Lark
You may have been told from childhood that you’re just not a morning person, so start to believe that you can change, suggests Dr Nerina.
‘People tell themselves this is the way they are, and that they’re like this because they take after other members of their family, but they can be more flexible than they think,’ she says. ‘Be open to the idea that you can make the switch.’
Imagine The Transformation
Most people realise the benefits of getting up earlier straight away, says Amanda. ‘Your general mood lifts, you have a happier, more positive and more productive day, and by the end of it, you feel you’ve got a lot done. It all adds up to greater happiness and better wellbeing.’
Eat Breakfast
Believe it or not, by having your first meal of the day within half an hour of getting up, you’re setting yourself up for a good night’s sleep 16 hours later.
‘You are more likely to sleep when your hunter gatherer brain knows it is safe,’ explains Dr Nerina. ‘By eating first thing, you’re sending a message to the body’s parasympathetic nervous system that food is plentiful and you are not in any danger. Come bedtime, you’ll fall asleep more quickly.’
Easy Does It
Rather than making the switch from owl to lark overnight, try a gradual change, suggests Amanda.
‘Adjust your bedtime and wake-up time by ten to thirty minutes over several days a week so your body gets used to it,’ she recommends. ‘Once you have these new patterns, stick to them, even on weekends, to regulate your body’s internal clock.’
Cut The Caffeine
Reduce your stimulants after 2pm, advises Dr Nerina. ‘If you have a cup of coffee at 5pm, half the caffeine will still be in your system at 10pm,’ she says. ‘Caffeine is a stimulant, and it will keep you awake. Break the cycle by having your last caffeine just after lunch.’
If you eat late, and then try to sleep on a full stomach, you’re asking for trouble, says Dr Nerina. ‘When you eat, all your resources are diverted to your digestion rather than your brain. This means your sleep hormones and chemicals aren’t functioning at their optimum.’
Bedtime Ritual
Start to decompress in the evening, suggests Dr Nerina. By 9pm drop your light levels and turn off harsh overhead lighting which stimulates the brain,’ she says. ‘Replace it with candles and soft lamps. Stop using blue light devices such as iPads and tablets around this time too.’
Devise a routine for your wind-down before bed. This might include a warm shower or a bath with your favourite oils.
‘Read a book, not your Kindle, do some meditation or write about your day in a journal,’ says Dr Nerina.
Focus On Resting
Do you lie in bed, tossing and turning and trying to sleep? ‘Put the emphasis on resting,’ says Dr Nerina. ‘If you start to worry about sleep, it will evade you and make you anxious. But just lying still in bed will benefit your mind and body and sleep will come.’
Let The Light In
Flood your bedroom with natural morning light, says Amanda, and you’ll avoid that horrible stark wake-up call.
‘Keep your curtains or blinds open, invest in a daylight/sunrise alarm clock or a lux light therapy lamp – the light will help you gradually and gently wake up,’ she says.
Stay Hydrated
It’s hard to believe that the amount you drink can affect your slumbers, but according to Dr Nerina, hydration is essential for a good night’s sleep.
‘The brain is made of 75 per cent water so it functions optimally when it’s hydrated,’ she says. ‘Everything involved in the complex process of sleep needs good hydration. Two litres of water a day is the recommended amount.’
