Early Bird Gets the Worm by Cambrie

Early Bird Gets the Worm by Cambrie - January 2019 Scholarship Essay

Studies show that there are many advantages to being a night owl. However, those advantages do not apply to me. I prefer both going to sleep and waking up early. According to thisisinsider.com, there is a specific name for your sleep cycle; your chronotype. This schedule is controlled by your genes and has a major effect on your personality.
Individuals with an early chronotype or "morning people" tend to be more school and work oriented. Many scientists believe that being and early bird is healthier than being a night owl. This is because our bodies were built to be awake when it is light outside and asleep when it is dark. Some advantages to having an early chronotype include being thinner, a safer driver, more proactive, happier, and tend to exercise more consistently.
Morning people tend to be slimmer because light exposure in the earlier hours of the day (between eight A.M. and noon) synchronizes your circadian rhythm, which, in turn, regulates energy balances and makes for a faster metabolism. Having a slow, or low, metabolism means the calories in the food you eat do not digest as fast as they normally would and you must eat fewer calories to avoid gaining weight. In addition, those who wake up early are more proactive. Personally, I believe that this is because when you wake up early, you are more motivated to start your day off on a positive note. Waking up late, in my experience, leads me to feel as though I have wasted my day away and might as well go back to sleep.
Those with late chronotypes show to be more creative, intelligent, and have an increased mental stamina late in the day. During a study involving 16 morning people and 15 night people, researchers found that night owls seemed to get an extra burst of energy later in the day. They determined this by testing the leg strength of participants during various points throughout the day. Results showed that energy levels of the "night owl group" remained consistent during the day, but as the day reached it's later hours, peaked.
The drawback to being a night person (that I, thankfully, do not have to deal with) is called "social jet lag". This phenomenon happens because most people with late chronotypes are forced to stick to the typical nine to five schedule regardless of their natural sleeping habits creating a misalignment with an individual's social and work life. Social jet lag for late risers means they will wake early and go to sleep late; virtually ruining quality and amount of sleep obtained.
Though there are many advantages to being a night owl, the downsides are detrimental. For that reason, I am glad to be an early riser. Having an early chronotype has positively affected my persona and the way I live my life.