Posted on 07/05/2010 7:52:33 PM PDT by Huntress
We are all morning or evening people. Scientists have established that our genes dictate around half of what they call our “chronotypes” — our natural preference for certain times of the day.
Evolution has produced a range of humans capable of being alert to danger at every hour of the day. Our experience confirms these findings. We all know people who love to be at work bright and early, with a cup of coffee to hand and decisions to make, and others who would rather stumble through the day until reaching a state of relaxed clarity around dusk, when their minds are purring.
The problem is that those with the genetic gift of “morning-ness” tend to be more highly rewarded. Morning-ness is perceived as a sign of activity and zest, whereas evening-ness implies laziness and loafing. How often did we have to see David Cameron on one of his early-morning runs to get the idea that here was a leader of potency and vigour? How different would it have been if he slunk out of bed to work, then exercised at around 8pm? Could a Prime Minister be elected today who worked like Churchill, reading, writing and thinking in bed before getting out of it at noon?
History is full of great bores praising the virtues of early rising, but few have made the case for letting the day drift by until you kick into gear around happy hour.
Yet the research continues to mount, arguing that evening people have qualities which should be nurtured. They tend to be more creative, intelligent, humorous and extroverted. They are the balance to morning people, who are said to be more optimistic, proactive and conscientious.
Evening and morning are the right and left sides of our brain, the creative and the analytical, both of which we need to organise, process and advance our lives.
New research by Christoph Randler, a biology professor at the University of Education at Heidelberg, however, concludes that morning people are more likely to succeed in their careers because they are more proactive than evening people.
He surveyed 367 university students, asking them when they were most energetic and willing to change a situation. It was the morning people who were more likely to agree with statements such as “I feel in charge of making things happen” and “I spend time identifying long-range goals for myself.”
Discussing his research in the Harvard Business Review, Randler says: “When it comes to business success, morning people hold the important cards. My earlier research showed that they tend to get better grades in school, which gets them into better colleges, which then leads to better job opportunities. Morning people also anticipate problems and try to minimise them. They're proactive.”
Christopher Coleridge, the founder of V Water, the fast-growing vitamin-enhanced water brand, has a different view on the advantages of morning-ness. “Morning is always the best time to get people to make decisions because people are full of optimism in the morning. By 9am, nothing really can go wrong. You're full of hope. By 4pm, at least six annoying things will have happened, so by the evening you're slightly annoyed and frustrated. Fortunately, you then have the rest of the evening to pick yourself up.”
Earlier in his career, when Coleridge worked in advertising, he found the culture much more focused on the evenings, when conversations over drinks would lead to creative ideas. But as an entrepreneur, he found mornings were the best time to corral people's energies.
Evening-ness, he says, can be exploited by companies that are full of young people. But mornings appeal more to people with families who want a schedule which allows them to get in early and leave on time. For the growing army of part-time and freelance workers, tight schedules are just as important. “They tend to be very focused because they are moving from project to project and they don't have time to yack away.”
In certain environments, morning-ness is unavoidable. In the City, many of the most significant meetings take place before the markets open. Schools, however, force morning-ness on teenagers at a moment when everything else in their lives — their hormones, their social lives, their working patterns — is drifting towards the evening.
But can one change one's chronotype from evening to morning? Randler says “somewhat”, but it can be hard. He cites one study that showed half of school pupils were able permanently to shift the time they woke up by one hour. Chronotypes, however, do evolve over one's life. Adolescents tend towards evening-ness; from the ages of 30 to 50, people are evenly split between morning and evening; and over-50s are more morning types.
The challenge for companies, Randler says, is to accept that evening-ness is an inherent trait and, rather than battling against it, find ways to “get the best out from their night owls”.
About 20 years ago, a group of scientists performed an experiment in which a woman lived in total isolation, except for the researchers. She remained in a capsule which met her basic needs. She had no television, radio or conversation aside from her fellow scientists. The scientists’ schedules were “shuffled” so she would not be able to work out a passage of time based on who she spoke with. She was required to keep a journal inwhich she would record her impression of the time and date.
She gradually switched to, and maintain, a 30 hour day. She was surprised when the experiment ended “early” based on her journal.
That’s cute. I don’t know whether or not there is a difference. I just can’t be bothered in the am.
Since I am a hand that rocks the cradle, I rule the world.
Since I am night person, I don’t.
Perhaps the two concepts cancel each other out and I partly rule.
Yeah...don't you just feel like driving a stake into their chipper, perky foreheads? lol!
I’m going to have to revisit this thread tomorrow once all the morning people have commented. I suspect the tide of opinion will turn around 6 or 7 a.m.
lol...you may be right..since this is being commented on by us nightowls.
I’ve always been a nightowl and yes it is genetic. I didn’t even realize that others, outside of my family, were the same way until this thread! Amazing...
It doesn't mean that we are less intelligent but just less productive during the time that society has sanctioned as productive time. Children who are night people start out with a disadvantage because school is during the daytime. Day people should imagine what it would be like to as children go to school at night and then they might understand what it is like for someone who is hardwired for night. If society didn't basically shut down at night I wonder how things would be.
Day people very often chide night people. Many really do think that to be a night person is some kind of a sin.
Nah-It started when we fell out of trees and had to keep one eye open for toothy critters...
I have been a morning person, maybe not even by choice, but it has served me well.
Breakfast was @ 5:00am from the time I was born and I left for work at 5:30 for a 12-14 hour day for 50 years and wouldn’t change for anything!
When I was in school I used to get up at 4 and do my homework before breakfast, nights were for street racing!
Early bird gets the worm.....
not going to say a thing about birds and worms. :-).
but remember it's the second mouse that gets the cheese!!!
Even as a child I was an evening person —
the only time I switch to morning is when I’m in the tropics.
bttt for comments from the early birds.
“It’s the night people’s job to take the day people’s money....” Ray Wylie Hubbard
Night people are the ones the really rule the world. At night, at least!
I am definitely a night person! Surprise!! :)
My mornings are spent drinking several cups of coffee. This is absolutely essential to get me started on my day which really doesn't start until around 11:00 AM or later.(lol-I’m UP but not started!)
If I'm into a project or task of any kind, my best work is done late at night. I seldom sleep before 2:00 AM.
Funny thing, though, I'm up by 8:00 AM-no matter what time I get to sleep at night!
Junie K.
Thanks for the ‘Ping’, MM. It was interesting reading...
I am definitely a night person! Surprise!! :)
My mornings are spent drinking several cups of coffee. This is absolutely essential to get me started on my day which really doesn’t start until around 11:00 AM or later.(lol-I’m UP but not started!)
If I’m into a project or task of any kind, my best work is done late at night. I seldom sleep before 2:00 AM.
Funny thing, though, I’m up by 8:00 AM-no matter what time I get to sleep at night!
June K.
OOOPS-sorry for the double post!
I guess it’s a little too early in the night for me to be doing my best work!! ;)
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