Night owl (person)

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A Young Man Reading by Candlelight (c. 1630) by Matthias Stom A Young Man Reading by Candlelight (Matthias Stom) - Nationalmuseum - 23887.tif
A Young Man Reading by Candlelight (c. 1630) by Matthias Stom

A night owl, evening person or simply owl, is a person who tends to stay up until late at night, or the early hours of the morning. Night owls who are involuntarily unable to fall asleep for several hours after a normal time may have delayed sleep phase disorder.

Contents

The opposite of a night owl is an early bird – a lark as opposed to an owl – which is someone who tends to begin sleeping at a time that is considered early and also wakes early. Researchers traditionally use the terms morningness and eveningness [1] for the two chronotypes or diurnality and nocturnality in animal behavior. In several countries, especially in Scandinavia, early birds are called A-people and a night owl is called a B-person. [2] [3]

History

While staying up after dark was considered a negative trait, this changed in 17th and 18th century Europe (and subsequently spread beyond) due to the development and implementation of artificial lighting: more domestic lights, added street lighting, and adaptation by the royal and upper social classes. [4] The introduction of chocolate, coffee and tea, and cafes that stayed open through dawn, became part of the new culture. [4]

Etymology

Owls, like this long-eared owl in Poland, are often nocturnal. Asio otus uszatka1.JPG
Owls, like this long-eared owl in Poland, are often nocturnal.

The term is derived from nocturnal habits of owls. [5] Most owls sleep during the day and hunt for food at night.

Characteristics

Usually, people who are night owls stay awake past midnight, and extreme night owls may stay awake until just before or even after dawn. [6] Night owls tend to feel most energetic just before they go to sleep at night.[ dubious – discuss ]

Some night owls have a preference or habit for staying up late, or stay up to work the night shift. Night owls who work the day shift often have difficulties adapting to standard daytime working hours.

Night owls have often been blamed for unpunctuality or attitude problems. [7] Employers, however, have begun to learn to increase productivity by respecting body clocks through flexible working hours, [8] while the Danish "B-Society" of night owls [7] and the American Start School Later movement lobby actively for more school and workplace flexibility for the post-agricultural world. [7]

Some research has found that night owls are more intelligent and creative and more likely to get high-paying jobs than larks, or morning persons.[ citation needed ] A study among 1000 adolescents by the University of Madrid found that night owls scored higher than early birds on inductive reasoning tests, which often serve as a proxy for intelligence. [9] However, they lag behind larks in academic performance, [10] and they tend to have unhealthier eating habits, as well as higher rates of smoking. [11]

Some night owls with great difficulty adopting normal sleeping and waking times may have delayed sleep-phase disorder. Morning light therapy may be helpful in shifting sleep rhythms for the night owl. [12]

Psychology

The night-owl pattern is more prevalent in men than in women. [13] Night-owls are more likely to be single than in long-term relationships. [13]

Factors

The tendency to be a night owl exists on a spectrum, with most people being typical, some people having a small or moderate tendency to be a night owl, and a few having an extreme tendency to be a night owl. [14] An individual's own tendency can change over time and is influenced by multiple factors, including:

The genetic make-up of the circadian timing system underpins the difference between early and late chronotypes, or early birds and night owls. [15] While it has been suggested that circadian rhythms may change over time, including dramatic changes that turn a morning lark to a night owl or vice versa, [16] [17] evidence for familial patterns of early or late waking would seem to contradict this, and individual changes are likely on a smaller scale. [18]

Prevalence

A 2007 survey of over 55,000 people found that chronotypes tend to follow a normal distribution, with extreme morning and evening types on the far ends. [19]

Career options

Night owls tend to thrive in careers that do not require working in the early morning. People who want to work in the evening are often employed at restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, retail stores, and some personal care businesses. [20] Night owls who work the night shift may work in emergency services, in transportation, or at round-the-clock facilities, such as hospitals and some manufacturing plants. [20]

Many businesses that operate in the evening or at night need employees at all levels, from entry-level employees to managers to skilled staff, whenever they are open. For example, most hospitals employ many types of workers around the clock:

Industries that tend to be less favorable to night owls include farming, construction, education, and working for public utilities. Many employees in these industries start working before 7:00 a.m. [20]

Notable people

A list of famous night owls includes:

See also

Related Research Articles

Sleep Naturally recurring state of mind and body

Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a decreased ability to react to stimuli, but more reactive than a coma or disorders of consciousness, with sleep displaying different, active brain patterns.

Jet lag is a physiological condition that results from alterations to the body's circadian rhythms caused by rapid long-distance trans-meridian travel. For example, someone flying from New York to London, i.e. from west to east, feels as if the time were five hours earlier than local time, and someone travelling from London to New York, i.e. from east to west, feels as if the time were five hours later than local time. The phase shift when traveling from east to west is referred to as phase-delay of the circadian circle, whereas going west to east is phase-advance of the circadian circle. Most travelers find that it is harder to timezone adjust when traveling to the east. Jet lag was previously classified as one of the circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

Circadian rhythm Natural internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle

A circadian rhythm, or circadian cycle, is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. It can refer to any process that originates within an organism and responds to the environment. These 24-hour rhythms are driven by a circadian clock, and they have been widely observed in animals, plants, fungi and cyanobacteria.

Chronobiology Field of biology

Chronobiology is a field of biology that examines timing processes, including periodic (cyclic) phenomena in living organisms, such as their adaptation to solar- and lunar-related rhythms. These cycles are known as biological rhythms. Chronobiology comes from the ancient Greek χρόνος, and biology, which pertains to the study, or science, of life. The related terms chronomics and chronome have been used in some cases to describe either the molecular mechanisms involved in chronobiological phenomena or the more quantitative aspects of chronobiology, particularly where comparison of cycles between organisms is required.

Delayed sleep phase disorder Chronic mismatch between a persons normal daily rhythm, compared to other people and societal norms

Delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), more often known as delayed sleep phase syndrome and also as delayed sleep–wake phase disorder, is a delaying of a person's circadian rhythm, compared to those of the general population and societal norms. The disorder affects the timing of sleep, peak period of alertness, the core body temperature, rhythm, hormonal as well as other daily cycles. People with DSPD generally fall asleep some hours after midnight and have difficulty waking up in the morning. People with DSPD probably have a circadian period significantly longer than 24 hours. Depending on the severity, the symptoms can be managed to a greater or lesser degree, but no cure is known, and research suggests a genetic origin for the disorder.

Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD), also known as the advanced sleep-phase type (ASPT) of circadian rhythm sleep disorder, is a condition that is characterized by a recurrent pattern of early evening sleepiness and early morning awakening. This sleep phase advancement can interfere with daily social and work schedules, and results in shortened sleep duration and excessive daytime sleepiness. The timing of sleep and melatonin levels are regulated by the body's central circadian clock, which is located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus.

A zeitgeber is any external or environmental cue that entrains or synchronizes an organism's biological rhythms, usually naturally occurring and serving to entrain to the Earth's 24-hour light/dark and 12-month cycles.

Circadian rhythm sleep disorders (CRSD), also known as circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders (CRSWD), are a family of sleep disorders which affect the timing of sleep. CRSDs arise from a persistent pattern of sleep/wake disturbances that can be caused either by dysfunction in one's biological clock system, or by misalignment between one's endogenous oscillator and externally imposed cues. As a result of this mismatch, those affected by circadian rhythm sleep disorders have a tendency to fall asleep at unconventional time points in the day. These occurrences often lead to recurring instances of disturbed rest, where individuals affected by the disorder are unable to go to sleep and awaken at "normal" times for work, school, and other social obligations. Delayed sleep phase disorder, advanced sleep phase disorder, non-24-hour sleep–wake disorder and irregular sleep–wake rhythm disorder represents the four main types of CRSD.

In the study of chronobiology, entrainment occurs when rhythmic physiological or behavioral events match their period to that of an environmental oscillation. It is ultimately the interaction between circadian rhythms and the environment. A central example is the entrainment of circadian rhythms to the daily light–dark cycle, which ultimately is determined by the Earth's rotation. Exposure to certain environmental stimuli will cue a phase shift, and abrupt change in the timing of the rhythm. Entrainment helps organisms maintain an adaptive phase relationship with the environment as well as prevent drifting of a free running rhythm. This stable phase relationship achieved is thought to be the main function of entrainment.

A chronotype is the behavioral manifestation of underlying circadian rhythm's myriad of physical processes. A person's chronotype is the propensity for the individual to sleep at a particular time during a 24-hour period. Eveningness and morningness are the two extremes with most individuals having some flexibility in the timing of their sleep period. However, across development there are changes in the propensity of the sleep period with pre-pubescent children preferring an advanced sleep period, adolescents preferring a delayed sleep period and many elderly preferring an advanced sleep period.

Lark (person) Person who usually gets up early in the morning and goes to bed early in the evening

A lark, early bird, morning person, or an A-person, is a person who usually gets up early in the morning and goes to bed early in the evening. The birds known as larks starts their days very early, which explains the choice of the word lark for people who may sleep from around 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.. Human "larks" tend to feel most energetic just after they get up in the morning. They are thus well-suited for working the day shift.

Thomas Alvin Wehr scientist emeritus at the National Institute of Mental Health is a psychiatrist, research scientist, author, and former chief of the Clinical Psychobiology branch at NIMH.

Second wind (sleep)

Second wind, a colloquial name for the scientific term wake maintenance zone, is a sleep phenomenon in which a person, after a prolonged period of staying awake, temporarily ceases to feel drowsy, often making it difficult to fall asleep when exhausted. They are the result of circadian rhythms cycling into a phase of wakefulness. For example, many people experience the effects of a second wind in the early morning even after an entire night without sleep because it is the time when they would normally wake up.

The morningness–eveningness questionnaire (MEQ) is a self-assessment questionnaire developed by researchers James A. Horne and Olov Östberg in 1976. Its main purpose is to measure whether a person's circadian rhythm produces peak alertness in the morning, in the evening, or in between. The original study showed that the subjective time of peak alertness correlates with the time of peak body temperature; morning types have an earlier temperature peak than evening types, with intermediate types having temperature peaks between the morning and evening chronotype groups. The MEQ is widely used in psychological and medical research and has been professionally cited more than 4,000 times.

Till Roenneberg is a professor of chronobiology at the Institute of Medical Psychology at Ludwig-Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich, Germany. Roenneberg, in collaboration with Martha Merrow, explores the impact of light on human circadian rhythms, focusing on aspects such as chronotypes and social jet lag in relation to health benefits.

The Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ) was created in 1976 by Till Roenneberg and Martha Merrow at Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU) Munich. The MCTQ samples sleep and circadian rhythm data from more than 25,000 participants.

Martha Merrow is an American chronobiologist. She currently chairs the Institute of Medical Psychology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Her career focuses primarily on investigating the molecular and genetic mechanisms of the circadian clock. Since joining the Ludwig Maximilian University in 1996, Merrow has investigated molecular and genetic mechanisms of the circadian clock as well as daily human behavior and medical psychology.

Adolescent sleep is typically poor in duration and quality. Sleep duration and quality reduce to suboptimal levels, and sleep duration variability and latency increases during adolescence. Sleep recommendations suggest that adolescents should obtain 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Additionally, there is a shift in the body's circadian rhythm such that sleep and wake timings become later during adolescence. Technology, social factors, and physical development are thought to contribute to poor sleep during this time. Poor sleep duration and quality in adolescents has been linked with altered brain functioning and development, poor mental and physical health, as well as higher rates of disease and mortality. The concerns surrounding poor sleep during adolescence has garnered significant public attention, especially concerning policies related to school start times.

Familial sleep traits are heritable variations in sleep patterns, resulting in abnormal sleep-wake times and/or abnormal sleep length.

References

  1. ↑ Horne JA, Östberg O (1976). "A self-assessment questionnaire to determine morningness-eveningness in human circadian rhythms". Int J Chronobiol. 4 (2): 97–110. PMID   1027738.
  2. ↑ James, Kyle (1 March 2007). "Late Sleepers in Denmark Rally for Societal Change". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2009-11-01.
  3. ↑ Morris, Chris (14 June 2007). "Late risers unite in Denmark". BBC News Channel. Retrieved 2009-11-01.
  4. 1 2 Benjamin Schwarz (April 2012). "Night Owls". Atlantic Magazine . pp. 82–83.
  5. ↑ "Night owl". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
  6. ↑ Stefan Klein, Time (2008) p. 20
  7. 1 2 3 Greene, Gayle (2008). Insomniac . Berkeley: University of California Press. pp.  345. ISBN   9780520259966. OCLC   85817911.
  8. ↑ Klein, p. 33
  9. ↑ Nuwer, Rachel. "Night Owl and Early Bird Teens Think Differently". Smithsonian. Smithsonian. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "IF YOU WANT TO GET AHEAD, BE A NIGHT OWL" by Roger Dobson; THE INDEPENDENT March 24, 2013
  11. ↑ Walker, R. J., Christopher, A. N., Wieth, M. B., & Buchanan, J. (2015). Personality, time-of-day preference, and eating behavior: The mediational role of morning-eveningness. Personality and Individual Differences, 77, 13–17.
  12. ↑ Laura H. Smith/Charles H. Elliott, Seasonal Affective Disorder for Dummies (2007) p. 73
  13. 1 2 Maestripieri, Dario (2014-01-01). "Night Owl Women are Similar to Men in Their Relationship Orientation, Risk-taking Propensities, and Cortisol Levels: Implications for the Adaptive Significance and Evolution of Eveningness". Evolutionary Psychology. 12 (1): 147470491401200111. doi: 10.1177/147470491401200111 . ISSN   1474-7049.
  14. 1 2 Roenneberg, Till; Merrow, Martha (23 May 2016). "The Circadian Clock and Human Health". Current Biology. 26 (10): R432–R443. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.04.011 . PMID   27218855.
  15. ↑ Philip Lee Williams, On the Morning (2006) p. 41
  16. ↑ Jeff Belanger/Kirsten Dalley, The Nightmare Encyclopedia (2005) p. 83
  17. ↑ Walker, R. J., Kribs, Z. D., Christopher, A. N., Shewach, O. R., & Wieth, M. B. (2014). Age, the Big Five, and time-of-day preference: A mediational model. Personality and Individual Differences, 56, 170–174.
  18. ↑ Klein, p. 21
  19. ↑ Roenneberg, Till; Kuehnle, Tim; Juda, Myriam; Kantermann, Thomas; Allebrandt, Karla; Gordijn, Marijke; Merrow, Martha (December 2007). "Epidemiology of the human circadian clock". Sleep Medicine Reviews. 11 (6): 429–438. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2007.07.005. hdl: 11370/65d6f03a-88cd-405c-a067-4afbc1b9ba9d . ISSN   1087-0792. PMID   17936039.
  20. 1 2 3 Torpey, Elka (October 2015). "Career Outlook: Careers for night owls and early birds". U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  21. ↑ "Authors' sleep patterns & productivity". ShortList. 2014-01-28.
  22. ↑ "Castro: his last battle". the Guardian. 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Daily Rituals: Marcel Proust, Franz Kafka, and other artists who did great work in the wee hours". Slate. 18 April 2013.
  24. ↑ "11 Bizarre Sleeping Habits Of Highly Successful People". SF Gate. 2013-11-23.
  25. ↑ "Authors' sleep patterns & productivity". shortList. 2014-01-28.
  26. ↑ "I studied the sleep habits of some of the world's greatest writers". Insider. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  27. ↑ "The Vulture Transcript: Fran Lebowitz on Sarah Palin, Keith Richards, Her Side Career As a Law & Order Judge, and Much More". Vulture.
  28. ↑ "At Night".
  29. ↑ "On the Cover: Marilyn Manson". Spin. 2007-05-17. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  30. ↑ Harrison Salisbury (1992). The New Emperors. HarperCollins. p. 103.
  31. ↑ Buckley, William F. (2004). Miles Gone Bye: A Literary Autobiography. Regnery Publishing. ISBN   978-0895260895.
  32. ↑ Buncombe, Andrew (2 July 2016). "Barack Obama: The nocturnal habits of America's 'night guy' president revealed". The Independent. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  33. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: Inside Prince's Secret Midnight Outings". Antoinette Bueno.
  34. ↑ McCullough, David (1992). Truman. Simon & Schuster. p.  508. ISBN   978-0671456542.
  35. ↑ "Maybe your sleep problem isn't a problem". NY Times. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  36. ↑ McKeen, William (2008). Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson. W. W. Norton & Company. p.  104. ISBN   978-0-393-06192-5. Sandy maintained the house, tiptoeing around until three o'clock in the afternoon, Hunter's usual waking hour.
  37. ↑ Carpenter, Humphrey (2014-03-04). J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN   9780547524429.
  38. ↑ Elsworth, Catherine (2007-06-13). "Travolta turns night owl to protect privacy". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
  39. ↑ "FZ: Drowning in the News Bath".
  40. ↑ Rogers, Mary (May 18, 1997). "A Midnight Conversation with Van Cliburn" (PDF). Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Archived from the original (PDF) on November 20, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
  41. ↑ Elder, Pliny the (2015-08-29). Delphi Complete Works of Pliny the Elder (Illustrated). Delphi Classics.
  42. ↑ Quoted in Rubinstein p. 211
  43. ↑ Jayne Ann Krentz, Truth and Dare (Penguin 2004) p. 258
  44. ↑ Hilary Rubinstein, The Complete Insomniac (London 1974) p. 19
  45. ↑ The Little River Band All-Time Greatest Hits 1990 CEMA Special Markets

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