6 unexpected differences between owls and larks

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

The timing and duration of sleep can tell a lot about both larks and owls.

The preferred activity in the morning or evening hours is determined by the chronotype. Larks go to bed early and wake up early, with their peak activity at the beginning of the day. Owls, on the other hand, prefer to go to bed and get up later. Usually such people come to life closer to noon.

Your chronotype can significantly affect your life, including your personality, lifestyle, and even health. Do not forget that people have individual differences, so the data on patterns of behavior are very generalized. Not all traits of your chronotype will match you. Still, let's find out what our sleep schedule says about us and use it to our advantage.

123RF / Anastasia Nelen

1. Medical indicators

Larks tend to have a slower heart rate, lower weight, and 50% less apnea than owls. Owls, on the other hand, have lower levels of good cholesterol, snore more often, and show higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Owls tend to be more anxious and depressed, are more likely to suffer from attention deficit disorder, consume more caffeine and alcohol, and are more likely to have addictions. Larks are better at withstanding stress and more satisfied with life without being addicted to artificial stimulants. Owls, on the other hand, are better at staying focused during the day, while larks are more distracted in the afternoon.

2. Eating habits

Larks tend to eat breakfast earlier after waking up than owls, who like to dine late. After 8 p.m., owls consume twice as many calories as larks, however, these meals do not provide a full feeling of fullness, as low levels of the hormone leptin reduce feelings of satisfaction with food. As a result, owls often overeat, leading to obesity and weight problems.

123RF / olegdudko

In addition, owls stay up late, but still have to get up early for work, so they often suffer from lack of sleep. Lack of sleep leads to an imbalance of leptin and ghrelin, hormones that regulate appetite. This leads to overeating of foods rich in carbohydrates and sugars.

3. Personality traits

Larks are better at making plans and sticking to them. People of this type are less likely to be depressed and less distracted. Larks have better self-control and can postpone pleasure.

On the other hand, owls are usually fun-loving, they are more impulsive and risky. Owls are usually more creative. Research shows that owls are more likely to have the best cognitive ability but the worst academic achievement. Larks, on the other hand, perform well in school with poorer cognitive abilities.

123RF / Cathy Yeulet

4. Career plans

Larks tend towards a more traditional lifestyle, while owls are more likely to live like a bohemian.

The modern business world is more inclined towards larks. When owls work in a typical firm where early planning meetings and meetings are a rule, productivity and work relationships can suffer. This leads to the formation of low self-esteem and dissatisfaction with life.

The converse is also true, when an early riser tries to adapt to a risky, nocturnal lifestyle, he will suffer from fatigue and poor thinking - with the same effect on self-esteem and general dissatisfaction.

5. DNA

Research is still ongoing, but some results demonstrate that the chronotype is dependent on DNA. The Period3 gene, or PER3, plays an important role in the formation of the chronotype. The PER3 gene can be repeated four or five times. All genes are paired, except for the X and Y chromosomes. About 10% of people have two sets of 5 repetitions of PER3 (5/5), which leads to cravings for an early lifestyle. About 50% of people have two sets of 4 repeats of the PER3 gene (4/4), which determines the "owl" chronotype. The remaining 60% are of the mixed type.

123RF / ktsdesign

6. Changes in biorhythms

Although preferences for work in the morning or evening are genetically inherent, the situation is not at all so simple. Your daily biorhythms - your biological clock - determine your activity throughout the day and change throughout your life. Children usually get up early. With the onset of adolescence, people begin to go to bed and get up later. These preferences may persist into middle age, or they may change. The most "owl" age falls on 20-21 years for men and 19-20 years for women. As they get older and the level of sex hormones decreases, people become more like larks.