Rise And Shine

If you’re not wired to wake up with the sun—but you dream of doing just that—we’ve got some advice.

- Arielle R. Franklin

IF THE EARLY bird catches the worm, what does the night owl get? Pressure to wake up sooner and a big old guilt trip for hitting snooze, says Fiona Barwick, PhD, clinical assistant professor at the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine. “As a society, we have come to believe that a person is weak or lazy if they aren’t awake and alert early,” she says. And yet research shows that each of us has a genetic chronotype that plays a role in when we wake and sleep. Some of us are biologically inclined to perform best in the morning (these people are called “larks”), and some are more active after dark.

In an ideal world, you could adjust your schedule to suit your body’s natural preferences. “Both larks and owls can have sleep schedules that leave them rested and productive,” says David Neubauer, MD, associate director of the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center. Unfortunately, most night owls are forced into misalignment thanks to reality’s alarm clock (think hungry kids and demanding bosses) and don’t get enough rest. Being an evening type may also up your risk for health issues like diabetes, as well as neurological, gastrointestinal, and respiratory disorders, according to a 2018 study in Chronobiology International.

The good news for night people: Genetics aren’t everything. “Your genes will dictate your tendencies, but your tendencies are not your destiny,” says Rafael Pelayo, MD, clinical professor at the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine. Experts share how anyone—yep, even those of us who watch TV into the wee hours— can reprogram both body and mind to wake up early more naturally and to function better all morning long.

Dream Up a Magical Morning