Some people wake up before the sun sets above the horizon, go for a run and eat a hearty breakfast, all before many others get out of bed. Waking up so early may seem exhausting to people who wake up late, but can a night owl turn into an early bird?
It’s possible to make the change, but it’s not easy, said Michelle Drerup, director of behavioral sleep medicine at Cleveland Clinic. “A real night owl doesn’t really feel great when you wake up, especially when it starts to change that.”
A person’s tendency to be a night owl, an early bird or somewhere in between is known as their chronotype. Depending on your chronotype, people are likely to be more awake and alert during certain hours of the day and more asleep during others.
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Scientists have discovered that the chronotype is determined by a combination of nature and food. When it comes to nature, several genes are known to play a determining role if a person prefers to be awake late at night or in the morning, Drerup told Live Science.
According to a study published in the journal, hundreds of genes are associated with being a morning person Communications on Nature. These genes influence a person’s circadian rhythm, or their natural sleep-wake cycle, which leads to their chronotype.
The environment also plays an important role. People often participate in daily activities that reinforce their chronotype, Drerup said. For example, nocturnal owls feel more productive and alert at night, so they tend to exercise and socialize in the evening. These activities are stimulating and reinforce the person’s tendency to stay awake until late.
Because the environment is a factor that determines whether a person is a night owl or a morning owl, it is possible to change the sleep-wake cycle. If you want to wake up earlier, make the change gradually. Drerup recommended slowly changing the wake-up alarm before 15 to 20 minutes every few days over several weeks until you are set to your ideal schedule.
Consistency is key. “This is where, many times, night owls will fight,” Drerup said. “They will start to adjust as the work week goes on, and then they stay up late to sleep on the weekends. They lose that momentum that they started to develop at the end of the work week.”
Limit exposure to light the hour before bedtime, such as staying away from screens, Drerup said. Light blocks the production of melatonin in the body, a hormone that regulates circadian rhythm. On the other hand, try to expose yourself to light as soon as you wake up, to end melatonin production.
Avoid stimulating late-night activities. Instead of exercising at night, try exercising in the morning or afternoon. You may also need to change meal times earlier.
If being a night owl works for you, there is no reason to change your sleep schedule. But staying up late becomes a problem when you need to wake up early to work and go to school. This can lead to sleep deprivation, which can seriously harm your health, such as increasing your risk of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
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This article was originally published by Live Science. Read the original article here.