Are you a night owl or a morning person? Some people seem to take great pride in staying up late and sleeping in. For them, they often are more productive at night. In fact, some studies suggest that night owls might be more alert mentally for more hours after waking up compared to early birds.[1] However “cool” it may seem to some to burn the midnight oil, there are more reasons to be a morning person. When it comes to your health, happiness and intelligence, science indicates that the morning people have the upper hand.[2]
Starting early gives you a mental boost so you are more productive. You tend to be more energized since exercising, meditating and even practicing yoga are more popular among those who get up and get going with physical exercise. You also can get more done when the rest of the world is sleeping and not distracting you. [3]
More concerning, research indicates there may be serious ramifications of being an evening person. Evening types reported psychological and psychosomatic disturbances more frequently and intensively than morning types. Morning types indicated a healthier lifestyle than evening types. Depression was also related to ‘eveningness’ as were bulimic behavior and seasonal affected disorders (SAD). Overall, there was a significant positive correlation between morning people and satisfaction with life.[4]
Make the Switch
Recognizing the benefits of being a morning person suggests many night owls might want to make the switch. Since the internal circadian rhythm or body clock of night owls dictate later-than-usual sleep and wake times, by changing simple habits evening people may become morning people. As an example, 22 individuals who participated in a three-week study were asked to: [5]
- Wake up 2-3 hours before regular wake up time and maximize outdoor light during the mornings.
- Go to bed 2-3 hours before habitual bedtime and limit light exposure in the evening.
- Keep sleep/wake times fixed on both workdays and free days.
- Have breakfast as soon as possible after waking up, eat lunch at the same time each day, and refrain from eating dinner after 7pm.
The results highlighted an increase in performance in reaction time and grip strength during the morning when tiredness is often very high in 'night owls', as well as a shift in peak performance times from evening to afternoon.
Melatonin and CBD Promote Sleep
Besides changing habits, add melatonin to your daily wellness regime. Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain that plays a role in sleep. The release of melatonin is connected to the time of day, increasing when it’s dark, making you sleepy, and decreasing when it’s light, making you feel more awake.[6]
The combination of Cannabidiol (CBD) and melatonin can provide an even more powerful aid to becoming more of a morning person. Some research on CBD and sleep indicates that CBD may interact with specific receptors in the endocannabinoid system to potentially affect the sleep/wake cycle. Combining CBD and melatonin can enable getting to sleep, quality sleep, and a regular sleeping cycle.
Among CBD products to aid sleep is Lab+Blends Dream Drops Nighttime Sleep Aid. It’s formulated to be taken before bedtime each night to help ease problems related to falling and staying asleep. In addition to CBD, this non-habit-forming sleep aid features Melatonin as well as Vitamin B6.
[1] Wijaya, Calvin, “7 Reasons to be Proud of Being a “Night Owl,” accessed November 12, 2020. http://youthunited.my/highlights/topic/2178/7-reasons-to-be-proud-of-being-a-night-owl
[2] Gelman, Lauren, “8 Surprising Health Advantages You Have as a Morning Person,” The Healthy.com, March 5, 2018. https://www.thehealthy.com/habits/morning-person-advantages/
[3] Nowik, Oskar, “7 Incredible Benefits Only a Morning Person Would Experience,” Lifehack, accessed November 12, 2020. https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/7-incredible-benefits-only-morning-person-would-experience.html
[4] Randler, Christoph. “Morningness-Eveningness and Satisfaction with Life.” Social Indicators Research, vol. 86, no. 2, 2008, pp. 297–302. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27734621. Accessed 12 Nov. 2020.
[5] University of Birmingham. "Night owls can 'retrain' their body clocks to improve mental well-being and performance." ScienceDaily, June 10, 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190610100622.htm.
[6] Mayo Clinic Staff, Melatonin, Mayo Clinic, accessed November 12, 2020. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-melatonin/art-20363071