“People are strange,” sang The Doors, and they pretty much nailed it. We are a strange sort, and we often behave and operate differently on a day to day basis. Some of us are morning larks, raring to go once the first sip of java courses through your veins. On the flip side, we have the night owl’s those nocturnal sorts much more content with sipping wine or coffee in the wee small hours, with a good book or a computer screen.
So, which are you? Well, that kind of depends on the sort of things you enjoy doing and how you tend to operate. Some of us are wired differently, and we sometimes do better in the morning or at night. We’re going to look closer at both sides of the coin, and evaluate the pros and cons of each. Whether you’re reading this first thing in the morning or last thing at night, we hope you find it informative.
Morning lark
Morning larks are full of vigor and vim, up at the crack of dawn, and ready to get the day started. They are bundles of energy who see the great in every pure, brilliant dawn and find themselves most productive at this time. What are the positives and negatives of identifying as a morning lark?
Morning lark – pros
You’re waking up with the world. As soon as something happens, you are aware of it, and you can keep up with the daily news as it unfolds. Furthermore, because you have just woken from a night’s sleep, you are refreshed and recharged, and ready to jump into your work or daily tasks. Being a morning lark means your productivity is at an all-time high. Life takes place in the day, and studies have shown that morning larks, on average, score 1 GPA point higher than night owls. This gives them an advantage over night owls in terms of career prospect – it also makes it easy dealing with the kids!
Morning lark – cons
The problem with being an early bird is that you start to flag much earlier. By the time you get home from work, have dinner, and watch a show, you’re pretty much wiped out, and it’s time for bed. Sleep pressure begins to weigh on morning larks midway through the day, and they start to become much more lethargic and tired. This means that productivity only stays high for a while before the ability to perform tasks starts to wane.
Night owl
Night owls are the sort who prefer to get things done after dark, in the quiet hours, when the world is asleep. They get much more energy in the evenings and late at night, and their productivity increases as the hours progress. So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of being a night owl?
Night owl – pros
Night owls benefit from that sudden burst of energy, also known as a second-wind. This hits late at night and allows them to be more productive and get things done later on. Another advantage of being a night owl is that you require less sleep than morning larks. Being a night owl, it’s easy to condition yourself to survive on a minimal amount of shut-eye. Also, studies have shown that night owls tend to be more intelligent, they are also more productive and have more stamina than morning larks.
Night owl – cons
The drawbacks to being a night owl are that you are more likely to struggle with non-work activities, as well as having a higher likelihood of getting depressed. You also have issues like nobody else being awake and having limited access to things you might want to do. Overall, night owls tend to be less proactive and less healthy than morning larks. But, this is, of course, subjective and doesn’t apply in all cases.
Whichever type of bird you identify as the world is very much your oyster, and it’s important to explore it your own way. You might be a morning lark, or a night owl, or someone in between (a hummingbird), and now you know the pros and cons of each.
