Night Owls vs Morning Larks
-
I've been pretty interested in this topic recently, especially since I've always been a Morning Lark until my shift duties for the past few years kinda messed up my circadian rhythm and lately, I've found myself to be very much a Night Owl. In fact, on most days, I don't go to bed till after 1:30 am or 2am, thereabouts.
Nobody else was online to crap with me tonight so I went to do some reading up on Night Owls and came across a few pretty interesting articles, and the following posts will show a few excerpts.
Who are fellow Night Owls in here?
I'm so much of a Night Owl these days that I think I'll be a good permanent Night Duty worker. hehe! Too bad they did away with that option in my ward. 
-
Excerpt from About.com's Sleep Disorders section:
The "Night Owl" Syndrome, from Florence Cardinal
"You watch the clock. Three a.m., four a.m., five a.m. You know you have to be up and alert for work by nine a.m., but you're still wide awake. If this happens only occasionally, you could be suffering from temporary insomnia. But, if you toss and turn night after night and then, when morning comes, you're ready to sleep like a baby, you may be suffering from a sleep disorder called delayed sleep phase syndrome.
Symptoms of delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) include the inability to fall asleep at night and excessive daytime sleepiness. If this problem continues over a three or four-month period, DSPS is probably the cause.
People suffering from DSPS are sometimes called "night owls." They function best late at night and feel drowsy and lethargic during the day. The circadian rhythm is in a complete reversal to what is considered normal.
Even when retiring at an hour that feels comfortable to them (in the early hours of the morning) they may still experience sleep onset insomnia and lie awake for thirty minutes or more before they can drop off to sleep.
Delayed sleep phase syndrome often begins in adolescence and may start as early as infancy. The onset, however, seldom occurs after the age of thirty.
Delayed sleep phase syndrome is a very real disorder. It is not caused by deliberate behavior, and it isn't easy to cope with.
Sleeping pills have little or no effect in combating the inability to fall asleep. Neither does meditation. Melatonin or other natural sleep inducers have been successful in a few cases. Daytime naps also help, but napping is not feasible if you are trying to hold down a job.
Chronotherapy, which involves the systematic delaying of bedtime by three hour increments, is sometimes helpful, but this method has not proven successful for all sufferers of DSPS. Some have been unable to stick to this schedule. Others habitually return to their former sleep pattern."
In another section in the same website, About.com, more info on DSPS was found :
Symptoms of DSPS
Delayed sleep phase syndrome often begins in childhood or adolescence. Symptoms must be present for at least a month before a diagnosis of delayed sleep phase syndrome can be made. Symptoms of DSPS include:
sleep-onset insomnia (an inability to fall asleep until the early
morning) sleep deprivation depression.
People with DSPS consider themselves "night owls." They tend to go to bed at the same time every night, and they function perfectly well if they're allowed to snooze until they spontaneously awaken. People with DSPS require normal amounts of rest, and sleep quality is generally normal.
DSPS and Depression
Approximately half of all people with DSPS are also diagnosed with depression or other mental disorders. The reason for this is unclear, although the high levels of stress and sleep deprivation associated with the condition are thought to increase the likelihood of depression. -
Interesting info derived from a survey of Americans in Medicine.net :
What Kind of Sleeper are You?
Read the article for details. Apparently, 17% of those surveyed are Night Owls and they exhibit the following characteristics : These mostly male night owls are employed and have the longest work week (47 hours compared with 42 hours overall), although they are least likely to work regular day shifts. They sleep less than other groups (5.2 hours per night) but nap more, with two-thirds taking two or more naps each week. They feel they need fewer hours of sleep each night to function at their best (5.2 hours), and nearly half say they get more sleep than they need. Members of this group drink more caffeine than other groups (4.0 cups/cans vs. 2.8 overall). Seven in 10 frequently experience a symptom of insomnia, and a smaller ratio says that they frequently get a good night's sleep. About half of this group is single, and the same percentage would be classified as obese.
So, do you see yourself in the patterns identified? -
It gets worse...
In the aforementioned article, What kind of Sleeper are You?, the last group, which I would call 'hardcore Night Owls', share the following characteristics : Nearly half feel they are getting less sleep than they need, and the same number say they usually feel tired or fatigued. They are more likely than other groups to say their (or their partner's) sleep disorders have caused significant or moderate problems in their relationship. More than twice as many (42%) of the people in this group also say being too sleepy has negatively affected their intimate relationships versus 19% overall. Most of this group has been diagnosed with a medical condition (84%), and they are more likely than other groups to use sleep aids. Only half of people in this group are employed, and there is a high number of females. Half say their doctor has asked them about their sleeping habits compared with 29% who have been asked overall.
Looks like being Night Owls have an adverse effect on your love life!
Unless you find a fellow Night Owl, I guess!
-
How to rise and shine when you're nocturnal by nature, By Julia Sommerfeld, Seattle Times staff reporter
"The body tells time with a master clock in the brain, a pinhead-sized cluster of neurons in the hypothalamus that takes cues from optic nerves that signal sunlight. By sticking people in isolation chambers, scientists discovered that most people's internal clocks run a bit longer — about a half-hour on average — than the sun's 24-hour cycle. That's why, for most people, it's easier to stay up later and compensate by sleeping in than to force yourself to sleep early and wake early, explains Dr. Eliza Sutton, an acting assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington. Morning larks are those rarer birds whose body clock is shorter than 24 hours, so they wake up raring to go.
"Our body clocks are genetic and hardwired so chances are you've been one way or the other for most of your life, with some exceptions — adolescence and old age. A combination of developmental and cultural factors keep many teens awake until the wee hours of the morning, about the time many grandparents start stirring awake.
"A body-clock mismatch also can be hard on lovebirds. If she wakes up on New York time but his clock is set on Pacific, she'll view him as lazy, and he'll grow bored spending evenings alone."
Wah... It looks like there's one more criteria to add when looking for your loved one now!
-
Yet another interesting article, this time from USA Today : When Sleep is But a Dream, by By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY:
''Insomnia is not a sleep disorder or a disease, but a symptom of underlying issues. It could be the result of trying to sleep in a hotel room, struggling with arthritis or dealing with a death in the family. The sleeplessness may vary from an occasional bout to a chronic problem, doctors say.
Sleep researchers are still trying to tease out all the reasons for insomnia, but one thing they do know is people's sleep-wake patterns change as they age. For teens and people in their 20s, the peak time of alertness is right before bedtime, and they often have difficulty falling asleep, Walsh says.
That bedtime alertness is reduced as people age, so they often fall asleep easily, but they may have trouble maintaining sleep, he says. One reason is that middle-aged and older people may be more sensitive to things like pain, discomfort, noise, the urge to visit the bathroom.
Another reason may be changes in the drive to stay asleep, he says. Throughout the day, people build up a need for sleep. When they snooze for a few hours at night, they pay off some of the sleep debt, and their drive to stay asleep diminishes, Walsh says."
A few of the causes of insomnia suggested in this article includes : Anxiety Conditioned Mental Arousal
"When some people wake up, instead of going right back to sleep, they may quickly become anxious because they're not sleeping and worry that they'll feel terrible the following day". Depression Alcohol Consumption
"Alcohol may have a sedative effect for the first few hours of sleep, but it metabolizes quickly, causing "a rebound alerting effect that contributes to lighter, fragmented sleep or total wakefulness in the second part of the night". Medical Problems
eg. arthritis, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, etc. Menopause / Hot Flashes Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome
"Some people have a persistent tendency to go to bed several hours earlier and wake up several hours earlier than is typical. They may go to bed at 8 p.m. and then wake up at 3 a.m."
This topic is getting more and more interesting! And it's making me stay up later and later tonight just reading up on Insomnia and Night Owls! -
Oh my gosh!
Whaddaya know... read this :Sleep more, you may eat less, By Jeanie Lerche Davis
"Chronic sleep deprivation may be part of America's obesity problem (search), a new study suggests. Lack of sleep has a bad effect on the "appetite control" hormone leptin, researchers say.
Leptin (search) is a widely studied hormone, thought to be the secret to obesity. Produced by fat cells, our leptin levels tell the brain when the body does or doesn't need more food.
Sleep deprivation plays an important role in regulating our leptin levels and in controlling appetite, explains senior researcher Eve van Cauter, PhD, a diabetes researcher with the University of Chicago. Her study appears in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism this month.
A few earlier studies have investigated the effects of sleep deprivation (search) on leptin levels, since sleep regulates hormones and other body processes. During sleep, leptin levels normally rise. But leptin levels are also markedly dependent on sleep duration, she says.
According to the researchers, sleep deprivation results in a triggering of hormones of the nervous system, which can lower leptin levels. These low levels of leptin have been associated with obesity. Other hormones that control metabolism are also triggered by sleep deprivation and may affect leptin levels."
Wah... so, judging by the info in this article, the modern-day Confucious should say, 'If man sleep much, man won't eat much!'
Sleep, ah!!! -
Study : Most Adults Don't Sleep Well
Getting a good night's sleep is hard for many adults and that often means poorer health, lower productivity on the job, more danger on the roads and a less vibrant sex life.
Wah...
Now, must update the modern-day Confucius' sayings to "Man who sleeps less, eats more and gets fat, falls sick more often, not a good worker, is a safety hazard to those around him, and also cannot make it one as a good lover."
Now, this gives me a perfect excuse to sleep for long hours everyday and then refuse to get out of bed!
And then, when boss calls and yells at me for not turning up for work on time, I'll just say, 'Hey, boss... I'm sleeping more so that I can be a good worker mah!!'
I think I should also inform those horny devils in the Bar forum that if they wanna be a good lover, Sleep More!
Oh drats... I'm more awake than ever now! -
Night Owl lumber 2 falling in!
-
Welcome! Welcome!!Originally posted by Camellias4me:Night Owl lumber 2 falling in!
Step into the Club 30 VIP Lounge for Night Owls! Sink your feet into the lush carpeting and sink down into our huge and comfy velvet red sofas! -
Sleep Loss Feeds Appetite
"AmericaÂ’s hectic lifestyle, fueled by sleep loss, is feeding the obesity epidemic, according to new research.
This week, two studies address this phenomenon — building on earlier research pointing to the same conclusion – that sleep loss “brings about physiologic changes in the hormonal signals that promote hunger and, perhaps thereby, obesity,” writes Jeffrey S. Flier, MD, with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, in his editorial in Annals in Internal Medicine.
The “simple goals” to get a better night’s sleep and more exercise “may well become a part of our future approach to combating obesity,” writes Flier.
Just last month, another study came to similar conclusions — that chronic sleep loss triggers hormones that can lower the “appetite control” hormone leptin. Lower levels of leptin are associated with obesity. It’s what researchers call the “yin yang” of appetite control. The hormone ghrelin is produced in the stomach and triggers hunger. Leptin is produced by fat cells and signals satiety, telling the brain when we have eaten enough.
Researchers also show an association between sleep duration and BMI. Those getting three hours of sleep had a 5% increase in body weight. “That’s not an enormous amount, but the effect might be underestimated,” says Mignot. “Still, it’s something we can do something about. It may be the reason why dieting has been so disappointing for so many people.”
In the second study, 12 healthy males in their 20s were studied to see how sleep loss affected both leptin and ghrelin levels. The young men got only four hours of sleep for two nights, then two nights of 10 hours in bed (average of 9 hours of sleep). Hormone levels were measured before, during, and after the sleep periods. They also completed questionnaires to assess their hunger and desire for different foods.
After a night of four hours of sleep, sleep restriction resulted in a 24 percent increase in hunger and a 23 percent increase in appetite, reports study co-researcher Esra Tasali, MD, a sleep specialist at the University of Chicago Medical Center. “If allowed to increase their food intake, they would likely eat an extra 550 calories a day,” Tasali tells WebMD, whose study appears in Annals of Internal Medicine.
As the sleepy guys got hungry, their food choices also changed. High calorie, high-carb foods were most appealing — sweets, and salty and starchy foods — after two nights of little sleep. Fruit, vegetables, and dairy products were at the low end of the craving scale." Wah... OK, OK, I geddit... Sleep More, Weigh Less!
So, kops, exercise less and sleep more and you won't be fat anymore! (Oh hey, it rhymes! ) -
I catch up on sleep as much as i can, whenever possible. Its true it affects my appetite greatly. I eat alot lesser when i sleep enough. Sleep sure can fill my stomach.Originally posted by Rhonda:Wah... so, judging by the info in this article, the modern-day Confucious should say, 'If man sleep much, man won't eat much!'
Sleep, ah!!! -
Another way sleep affects my weight is, when I go to bed late, I can't wake up early enough to visit the gym for my exercise classes.Originally posted by Camellias4me:I catch up on sleep as much as i can, whenever possible. Its true it affects my appetite greatly. I eat alot lesser when i sleep enough. Sleep sure can fill my stomach. 
I used to sleep early just so I could wake up early and fit in an hour or more of exercise before reporting for afternoon shift.
That's fast becoming history already. I really ought to start disciplining myself to return to my ol' sleeping habits.
Maybe, I've been depressed, that's why the whole sleep cycle is topsy-turvy.
Ah well, happy days, happy days! -
-
Thanks but this little nook here suits me fine.Originally posted by tranquilice:
Lots of friends here too! Ah well, will drop by now and then. Thanks anyways. -
You are welcomed.Originally posted by Rhonda:Thanks but this little nook here suits me fine. Lots of friends here too! Ah well, will drop by now and then. Thanks anyways. -
I'll never make it in the mornings.. wonder how u guys can squeeze in gym before work.Originally posted by Rhonda:Another way sleep affects my weight is, when I go to bed late, I can't wake up early enough to visit the gym for my exercise classes.
I used to sleep early just so I could wake up early and fit in an hour or more of exercise before reporting for afternoon shift.
That's fast becoming history already. I really ought to start disciplining myself to return to my ol' sleeping habits.
Maybe, I've been depressed, that's why the whole sleep cycle is topsy-turvy.
Ah well, happy days, happy days!
Gee, i hope it comes back to u soon. Cheer Up will ya? -
Thanks. No worries. I'll Chin Up! It's just an undercurrent but it doesn't consume me... at least, I think not!Originally posted by Camellias4me:I'll never make it in the mornings.. wonder how u guys can squeeze in gym before work.
Gee, i hope it comes back to u soon. Cheer Up will ya? -
I find that true for me too! Isn't it strange! Whenever I have an afternoon nap (not often), and when I wake up in the early evening I don't feel like eating my dinner!Originally posted by Camellias4me:I catch up on sleep as much as i can, whenever possible. Its true it affects my appetite greatly. I eat alot lesser when i sleep enough. Sleep sure can fill my stomach.
Very interesting research you've done there, Rhonda! I'm a morning lark (but I guess you knew that already! ) -
I am definitely a Morning Lark
-
Is your gym 24 hours?
Uhm... are there 24 hour gyms in the first place? (Paiseh I'm not the gymming type). But if it were, you can go whenever you're free.Originally posted by Rhonda:Another way sleep affects my weight is, when I go to bed late, I can't wake up early enough to visit the gym for my exercise classes.
I used to sleep early just so I could wake up early and fit in an hour or more of exercise before reporting for afternoon shift. -
If i am not mistaken, california gyms is 24 hrs oneOriginally posted by choco B:Is your gym 24 hours?
Uhm... are there 24 hour gyms in the first place? (Paiseh I'm not the gymming type). But if it were, you can go whenever you're free. -
I am a Night Owl most of the time, Morning Lark some of the time, and an Afternoon Boar one of the time.
-
no gym, just go for a run outside.Originally posted by choco B:Is your gym 24 hours?
Uhm... are there 24 hour gyms in the first place? (Paiseh I'm not the gymming type). But if it were, you can go whenever you're free. -
Originally posted by laurence82:I am a Night Owl most of the time, Morning Lark some of the time, and an Afternoon Boar one of the time.