Why Are Some People Morning People and Not Others?

Our sleep-wake cycles are dictated by our circadian rhythm, an internal body clock that regulates our energy levels throughout the day. The circadian rhythm operates on a 24-hour schedule that generally follows the patterns of the sun. Most people feel awake when it is light and sleepy when it is dark, but the specific timing of these schedules can vary from person to person. That variability is what is known as a chronotype.

Morning people, or early birds, have an early chronotype. They like waking up early and they tend to feel at their best earlier in the day. Night owls, on the other hand, have a late chronotype. They prefer to wake up later and they feel most motivated and active at night. Chronotypes lie on a spectrum, and most people fall somewhere in between.

Chronotypes are reflected at a physiological level, all the way down to the central nervous system 

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. In morning people, brain pathways are most excitable in the morning, empowering peak performance early in the day. In night owls, it is the opposite.

Neither chronotype is inherently better than the other, however night owls are at a disadvantage in many ways. From school to work, important activities are often scheduled for the morning, when night owls are still sleepy and experience lower cognitive and physical performance as a result.