An expert says people are not as hard-wired as they think when it comes to their sleep style
A health expert has shared a fifteen-minute ‘rule’ that she urges anyone who struggles to get up early to try. Having a hard time waking up is often due to sleep inertia (that sleepy feeling when you wake up), not getting enough sleep regularly, or having a sleep schedule that is all over the place, which messes with your body’s natural clock.
American neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki, a professor at the New York University Centre for Neural Science, claims that simple changes can help make mornings a little easier. In a recent video uploaded to her TikTok channel, she asked: “Are you a morning lark or a night owl? And are you really stuck with that sleep style for the rest of your life?”
She went on to say: “While genetics play a role in whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, your sleep style isn’t set in stone. Light exposure, bedtime routines, and daily habits can actually shift your internal clock over time.
“So, you want to tweak your sleep schedule? Try gradually adjusting your bedtime by 15 minutes each night, get plenty of morning sunlight and be consistent – even on weekends – and you’re going to see yourself shifting gradually.”
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, changing your sleep schedule by 15 minutes each night (or every couple of days) is a smart, gradual way to make it easier to wake up and reset your body clock. This step-by-step method helps your body get used to a new, earlier, or later routine without leaving you feeling super tired.
Am I an ‘early bird’ or ‘night owl’?
According to research, the easiest way to determine your sleep chronotype is to note when you naturally feel the urge to go to bed and wake up. You might find it takes several days for your body to settle into its preferred pattern.
Eventually, you’ll notice you go to bed and wake up at around the same general time – even without the need for an alarm clock. Night owls tend to have trouble waking up early in the morning and don’t feel tired until late at night, with ‘early birds’ being the opposite.
According to Dr Suzuki’s video, you can train yourself to switch sides. The key lies in making changes in regular increments rather than making drastic, routine changes.
Benefits of adopting an ‘early bird’ lifestyle
Early birds tend to go to bed earlier and therefore wake up sooner than people who stay up later. An ‘early bird’ generally has an easier time adjusting to standard daytime schedules, which can make it easier to function at workplaces that operate during the day.
People with this sleep style may find society more accommodating than ‘night owls’ do. Early risers also tend to have more energy in the first half of the day, according to Healthline.
In a test with over 3,100 people between the ages of 18 and 35, researchers found that people who adopt the ‘early bird’ approach to life have “better social support” with family and friends and “increased mindfulness”, studies have shown.
