But at least science backs up my idea that I should do my own thing. Witness:

In a sleep lab, the researchers studied people with extreme bedtimes, or chronotypes, both early and late. The larks in the study typically woke up between 4 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. and went to bed by 9 p.m. The night owls, or evening chronotypes, left to their own devices would go to bed at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. and rise at noon [Science News]. All the test subjects maintained their preferred sleep schedules to avoid interfering with their circadian rhythms, and took tests measuring their alertness 1.5 hours after waking, and again 10.5 hours after waking. In the earlier test researchers saw no difference between the two groups’ performances, but in the later test the night owls performed better than the early birds, and also topped their own prior test results.

So, I can do as good as early risers in the early hours, but as nighttime approaches I do better while they do worse. So that means I get more out of my day than those awake at the buttcrack of dawn.

But while night owls seem to handle sleep pressure better, the late-to-bed strategy might backfire outside the lab…. “Morning types may be at an advantage, because their schedule is fitting better with the usual work schedule of the society,” [Peigneux] said. “It may represent a problem for evening types obliged to wake up early while having difficulties going to bed in the evening, eventually leading to a sleep debt” [National Geographic News].

Yeah, unfortunately society wants to stick me in the box they think should suit everyone. I feel completely horrible when I have to sleep and wake up to any schedule but my own. My nights are full of fitful sleeplessness and mornings full of half-dreams, and then groggyness upon waking. I’m pretty sure I sleep well under the ‘recommended’ 8 hours.

Tags: lesson learned, personal

This entry was posted on Friday, April 24th, 2009 at 11:41.