Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
The Popular Resistance Committees: We call on all international institutions to take urgent action and uphold their responsibilities by restoring and immediately enforcing effective mechanisms for the distribution of humanitarian aid.
The Popular Resistance Committees: The latest Zio-American crime against Gaza’s starving civilians constitutes a war crime, for which the US administration bears full and direct responsibility.
Gaza Media Office: Bloody spectacle shows that these zones have become collective death traps rather than aid distribution zones.
Gaza Media Office: Dozens of citizens are still surrounded under constant fire in the vicinity of the "aid station."
Gaza Media Office: As soon as citizens arrived, occupation and Americans opened direct fire on them.
Gaza Media Office: Occupation, in complicity with the US company, called on citizens to move toward Wadi Gaza Bridge, claiming that aid would be distributed.
Gaza Government Media Office: Occupation set a bloody trap at bridge of Wadi Gaza, luring thousands of starved civilians, and opened fire on them.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone drops sonic grenade in town of Ramiyah.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone strike targets vehicle in town of Beit Lif.
The Government Media Office in Gaza: The occupation’s latest crime is further evidence of its ongoing implementation of genocide through starvation.

Night owls, rejoice: there is no link between laziness and late sleep

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 30 Jan 2023 12:59
4 Min Read

Bias against night owls (those who wake at night and sleep in the day) and calling them lazy is “purely cultural”.

  • x
  • A photo depicting a woman either as an early bird who wakes up early or a night owl who stays up late (Financial Times)
    A photo depicting a woman either as an early bird who wakes up early or a night owl who stays up late (Financial Times)

Shaming the circadian rhythm, the natural process that regulates sleep-wake cycles in bodies, is no longer "cool" - and genetics are to thank for that. 

The body's sleep-wake schedule, called the chronotype, seems to be genetically regulated according to experts in a recent study in Finland that found 10% of men and 12% of women to be "night people". 

A 2007 study even discovered that the most common chronotype found in 14.6% of people is a sleep schedule from 12.09 am to 8.18 am when there are no “social obligations”.

Dr. Beth Ann Malow, neurologist and sleep expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee, said: “It’s not something like: ‘I’m gonna choose to be a night owl, and I’m lazy.’ It’s a biological preference.”

This point is seconded by Dr. Phil Gehrman, clinical psychologist specializing in behavioral sleep medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. 

He expressed that bias against night owls (those who wake at night and sleep in the day) is “purely cultural”.

A 2014 study concluded that the later in the day that class and work started, the more sleep individuals got. 

Dr. Mathias Basner, director of Penn’s unit for experimental psychiatry in the division of sleep and chronobiology, said: “It’s the combination of early work start and long commute that is driving short sleep." 

Social obligations may be the reason why 

What happens when classes and work shifts don't match our circadian rhythm?

Related News

Montenegro's 'Lazy Olympics': Who can lie down the longest

Sleep apnea poses significant stroke risk, US study reveals

Staying up late turns into a condition known as delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, whereby circadian rhythms make daily life and functioning a hassle - approximately 0.2% to 1.7% of adults suffer from this. 

Dr. Malow stated that sleep habits being viewed either as a tendency or as a disorder depends more on “lifestyle and their employment than it is anything else," adding that treatment really starts when people are able to adjust work schedules to biological rhythms. 

For instance, she illustrates a patient who suffered in high school but excelled when he began a job as a chef or when students registered for late-night classes. 

Rather than trying to catch up to social obligations, she says: “I would much rather [patients] stay on a consistent schedule where they’re going to bed at two and waking up at 10 or 11.” 

Unfortunately, not many are lucky to have that option and enjoy that luxury. In that case, the hassle can be treated by working out and with melatonin intake, a natural hormone that the body releases to respond to darkness and thus to sleep. 

According to Dr. Gehrman, these treatments can alter the circadian rhythm, but success rates vary.

Pros and cons of night owl-ing

Dr. Gehrman ruled out definite links between being awake at night and mental health or unhappiness. 

“There are a lot of epidemiologic studies showing that being a night owl is associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety and all these things. But the open question is: is it the fact that you’re a night owl? Or is it the fact that most night owls are forced to follow a schedule that’s earlier than their circadian rhythm – what we often refer to as a mismatch,” he says. Recent studies have pointed to the latter, he says: 

“It’s certainly not conclusive, but that’s what we think is going on.”

However, bias and shaming night owls for being lazy may benefit capitalism and the corporate "big guys." British researcher Dr. Paul Kelley argues that abiding by a 9-5 schedule suits 50+ year-old bosses because it's actually easier for them to get up early. 

“People shouldn’t change their schedule because of the belief that following their schedule is bad for them,” Gehrman says, adding: “As humans, we always seem to say if someone’s different from us, they’re therefore wrong."

“I think people should look at circadian rhythm differences the same way they look at any other differences between people.” 

  • Sleep
  • circadian rhythm
  • health

Most Read

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive to a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington (AP)

Rift widens: Trump, Netanyahu clash in heated phone call over Iran

  • Politics
  • 26 May 2025
US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump tensions

US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump pressures

  • US & Canada
  • 25 May 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
MIT bans class president who gave pro-Palestine speech
US & Canada

MIT bans class president over pro-Palestine speech

Arab ministers condemn Israel 'ban' on planned West Bank visit
Politics

Arab ministers condemn Israeli ban on planned West Bank visit

Major General Hu Gangfeng, Vice President, National Defense University, People's Liberation Army, China, leaves after a panel discussion during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Politics

China blasts Hegseth, calls US top 'troublemaker' in Asia-Pacific

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: Reports
Technology

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: NBC News

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS