The chronotypes of man we are used to today - "owls" and "larks" - have long been skeptical. Only in the 70s of the XX century did British scientists change the situation.
Chronotypes and biorhythms
It is known that the chronotype of a person is determined by the peaks and falls of physical and mental activity, which are distributed over the daily cycle. For larks, activity peaks in the first half of the day, for owls in the second.
Chronotypes depend on human biorhythms, and these, in turn, are synchronized with a natural factor - the change of day and night. But the change in external conditions also changes our biorhythms.
The following experiment was carried out. The subject was placed in a room completely isolated from the environment. Every day he was artificially shifted the time an hour ahead, and after two weeks he completely changed his regime - he began to stay awake at night and sleep during the day.
It is interesting that biorhythms can have a direct impact not only on a person's lifestyle, but also on his professional orientation. Studies have shown that night wakefulness in "owls" activates the right hemisphere of the brain. Such people are accustomed to breaking stereotypes and thinking outside the box - they make good actors, artists, musicians.
Larks, on the other hand, have a developed left hemisphere, which has a positive effect on business success. Wealthy and wealthy people are overwhelmingly early risers.
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Who is healthier?
The question of whose life is healthier - "owls" or "larks" - worries many. The overwhelming majority of experts claim that the healthiest "larks". For thousands of years, mankind has lived according to a "solar" schedule, and therefore the rhythms consistent with the schedule of sunrise and sunset are the most natural and favorable.
Moreover, it has been established that the content of the youth hormone melatonin, whose production occurs in the dark, is one and a half times lower in "owls" than in "larks". Lack of this hormone in the future leads to premature aging. It is also important to note that the vigor hormone cortisol, which is activated in the morning hours, is still sleeping in "owls" at the right time.
Sleep at night is most effective for processing and clearing the information received during the day, and if you do not sleep at night, then excess information can overload your brain, leading to significant exhaustion of the body and rapid fatigue.
But there are also critics of the lifestyle that the "larks" lead. They say that early risers, who have to get up early, do not get enough sleep all the time, and therefore are often irritable and quick-tempered. Indeed, some studies show that "larks" are largely susceptible to depression and stress, but perhaps this is due to the fact that they more often than "owls" have to enter into social contacts during the day - this time is more conducive to the development of conflict situations.
"Owl" as a deviation from the norm?
"Owls" are a product of modern civilization. It was electricity that became the indirect culprit for the fact that some people switched to a nocturnal lifestyle. But scientists still attribute a certain percentage of "owls" to nature, which loves to experiment and sometimes contributes to the birth of people prone to night activity.
In particular, researchers have identified a gene that causes sleep disturbances. Let's note a rare disease known as DSPD (Delayed sleep-phase disorder) - "Delayed sleep-phase disorder". People exposed to it, even going to bed before midnight, fall asleep only in the morning.
The syndrome most often first occurs during adolescence. Fortunately, no more than 0.15% of the world's population suffers from it. Despite all the negative aspects, "owls" have a definite advantage over "larks". If the "larks" have 2 peaks of daily activity, then the "owls" have 3 of them (daytime - from 13:00 to 14:00, evening - from 18:00 to 20:00 and night - from 23:00 to 01:00). This advantage allows owls to be more productive.
New facts
Recently, scientists have discovered a number of curious facts that reveal the phenomenon of "owls" and "larks". In particular, the staff of the University of Surrey found that the same gene is responsible for belonging to both categories, only in “owls” it has a short version, and in “larks” a long one.
Russian scientists went further and determined that only 15% of all "larks" and "owls" are determined by genes. The rest is a consequence of the way of life.
Scientists in Pennsylvania drew attention to the fact that "owls" snore more often and suffer from "apnea" - a temporary stop of respiratory movements. Nocturnal lifestyle, in their opinion, also contributes to the propensity to obesity. Some researchers argue that due to late falling asleep and overwork, "owls" are more likely to suffer from memory impairment, and are also more sensitive to pain. In addition, they "lose" the last phase of sleep, which helps to streamline the experience of the previous day.
Employees of the University of Durham conducted a survey, as a result of which it was found that male "morning larks" have an average of 3.6 sexual partners, while "owls" -16.3. The reason for this is the active evening pastime that is conducive to flirting. However, German scientists argue that owls' higher testosterone levels are to blame.
Also "pigeons"
It is estimated that 45% of people in developed countries are "owls", 25% are "larks", but who then do the remaining 30% belong to? In addition to two well-known chronotypes, there is a third - "pigeons" - they fill the remaining percentages. It is not difficult to guess that "pigeons", which are also called "arrhythmics", combine the features of "owls" and "larks".
This is a more flexible chronotype, equally well adapted to life in the daytime and at night. But this versatility comes at a price.
According to doctors, it is the "arrhythmics" that account for the lion's share of neuropsychiatric disorders. "Doves" not only average the time of getting up and going to bed, but also have the ability to get up early and go to bed late.
Undoubtedly, the "arrhythmics" were Leonardo da Vinci and Lenin, who could sleep 4-5 hours a day and at the same time perform a huge amount of daily work.
Reorganization of the body
During life, our chronotype changes repeatedly. As a child, we tend to be early risers, but after school we gradually move on to evening and night activities. When the time comes to be parents, we again return to the "larks", but our children grow up, and we again join the "owls". With the beginning of old age, getting up early becomes as natural for us as it is for children.
Is it possible, consciously, by an effort of will, to rebuild the chronotype? Practice says yes. It will take several months to transform from a "lark" into an "owl". This shows the experience of people who have switched to night work.
For reverse metamorphosis, much less time is needed - 7-9 days: this is due to the fact that early rise and early sleep are more natural for us.
But there is also a faster way to become a morning person. Those who work on a five-day schedule on Saturday need to wake up no earlier than 11:00. The next night you need to hold out without sleep, and by early Sunday evening you will surely be drawn to sleep. However, such an extreme method is not suitable for everyone. In whatever direction the transition occurs, the main thing is to be gradual and sensitively listen to your body.
