Not everyone is an early bird and I get it. It’s probably much easier to find those who would rather sleep in, thanks to their trusty snooze buttons, than burst out of bed into the fresh gleam of the morning sun, ready to seize the day. If you fit into the category of snoozers, allow me to convince you to consider laying your snooze button to rest by introducing some of the benefits of being a morning person.
I am a pre-med student so allow me to satisfy my inner scientist by giving you guys a bit of an academic lesson. Here’s what I learned in a lecture given by Dr. Andrew Jenkins, an Associate Professor at Emory University. The suprachiasmatic nucleus is home to our circadian rhythms. These rhythms regulate our “24-hour clock” and typically respond to the light and darkness in our environment. As humans, we are diurnal, meaning that we are active during the day. Our bodies are scientifically ready to get up anywhere between 6 AM to 7:30 AM. We experience a sharp increase in our blood pressure and not long after, our melatonin secretion tends to come to a stop around 7:30 AM. So, according to the natural ebb and flow of your body, you’re already a morning person so just act on it!
Now, a note for those of you who actually set your alarms for an appropriate time just to hit the snooze button for another 45 minutes. I would like to introduce you to something you are definitely already familiar with but may not know the name of: sleep inertia. It’s a psychological state of cognitive impairment that I believe everyone experiences right after we awake from a deep sleep. I believe it typically only lasts about 15-30 minutes. Hitting the snooze button, however, can elongate this time frame and leave you feeling even more groggy and drowsy than you would’ve been if you had just woken up on time. This means that it will take your brain longer than it should to be alert and focus on tasks that you do throughout the day. This can decrease your productivity, memory, and overall cognitive ability. No fun!
I know being a morning person is easier said than done; especially if you are not the best at getting to bed on time. As a college student, I know the feeling- trust me. Nevertheless, be sure to keep in mind the plethora of benefits to being a morning person so you can be even more equipped to take control of your life and productivity!
* I am a pre-med student and have only been one for a year. I am not a doctor yet. I try not to feed anyone with false information. I did get these facts from lectures. Nevertheless, I’m human. Some of my notes may not be 100% accurate so please correct me if you see something wrong. Who knows? Maybe I was taking notes after pulling an all-nighter and got some of the information wrong đŸ˜‰.*
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