GOING TO BED LATE MIGHT BE GOOD FOR YOU
Reading Time: 4 minutes 32 seconds
Rip the curtains open, pull the sheets off, and exclaim, “You’re wasting the day, Henry!”
We’ve all been there—on the receiving end of a parent yelling at us to get out of bed. Society has drilled into us that early risers are the productive go-getters, while night owls are lazy and unmotivated. But here’s the thing: science disagrees.
Your sleep habits aren’t just about willpower or routine; they’re built into your biology. And if you’re someone who comes alive at night, forcing yourself into a morning schedule might actually do more harm than good.
WHAT IS A CHRONOTYPE, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Your chronotype is your body’s natural sleep-wake preference. Are you an early bird, up at dawn, thriving in the morning? Or are you a night owl, at your best when the rest of the world is asleep? Most people fall somewhere in between.
But your chronotype isn’t a choice. It’s written in your DNA. Scientists have pinpointed at least nine genes that influence whether you’re naturally early or late to bed.
We all have a 24-hour circadian rhythm, which is our internal clock for sleep and wakefulness. Our chronotype decides where our personal “sweet spot” is on that clock. For example, a morning lark may feel sleepy by 9 pm and wake up refreshed at 5 am. In contrast, a night owl might not get tired until midnight and usually wakes up around 9 or 10 am. And at the extreme ends, the difference can be huge. For example, an early sleeper might go to bed at 7 or 8 pm, while a very late sleeper maybe 2 am.
WHY DO WE HAVE DIFFERENT CHRONOTYPES?
This diversity isn’t just a quirky trait—it likely evolved for survival. Imagine life in a hunter-gatherer tribe. If everyone went to sleep and woke up at the same time, the group would be completely vulnerable for eight hours. Some members like to stay up late, while others wake up early. This means there’s a much smaller time when everyone is asleep.
In a modern context, however, this evolutionary advantage can feel more like a mismatch. Society often favours morning larks. Schools start early, workdays run from 9 to 5, and meetings happen before many night owls want to be awake.
HOW UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHRONOTYPE CAN IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP
Knowing your chronotype isn’t just an interesting fact—it can help you optimise your sleep and daily routine. If you’re constantly fighting against your natural rhythm, you might feel perpetually tired or even assume you have insomnia when the real issue is timing.
For instance, a night owl who forces themselves to go to bed at 9 pm might struggle to fall asleep because their body simply isn’t ready. Likewise, a morning lark trying to stay up past midnight might feel utterly drained. Aligning your schedule with your chronotype—even slightly—can improve both the quantity and quality of your sleep.
CHRONOTYPE ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
Interestingly, though your chronotype is genetic it isn’t set in stone—it also evolves as you age.
CHILDREN are naturally early to bed and early to rise.
TEENAGERS experience an exaggerated shift forward, preferring to stay up much later and sleep in—a biological reality that often clashes with early school starts and adult societal norms.
ADULTS usually find a steady routine in their 20s and 30s. Their real chronotype starts to show.
SENIORS often revert to an earlier more child like schedule, which is often cited as why “early bird specials” started at restaurants.
THE HIDDEN DANGERS
Fighting your chronotype can harm your health. If your job makes you work late or change shifts, you are likely hurting your immune system, productivity, and mood.
In fact, at the extreme end, research shows that working night shifts, which is disrupting your natural sleep cycle by 12 hours, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cancer. The World Health Organisation has classified night shift work as a probable carcinogen. What we can learn from that is by ignoring your chronotype, you’re putting your health on the line. It makes you really appreciate the sacrifices shift workers have to make.
BIAS AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT
Alas society isn’t exactly kind to night owls. Early work meetings, rigid school schedules, and social expectations all seem to cater to morning larks. But by understanding chronotypes, we can start to counter against these biases.
For instance, if your team includes a few night owls, maybe skip the 8am brainstorming session. If you have a teenager at home, let them sleep in on the weekends at least. It helps them recover from the sleep debt they build up during the week. Small adjustments like these can create a more inclusive, productive environment for everyone.
TAKE THE TEST
Curious about your chronotype? A simple online questionnaire, like this one, can give you a good idea. Once you know where you fit on the spectrum between morning lark and night owl, you can start adjusting your schedule.
Don’t worry too much about lions, bears, dolphins or other such chronotypes you might see on the internet. You simply want to better understand your real circadian biology—your body’s natural rhythm of wakefulness and sleepiness, controlled by genetics and light exposure, rather than personality type.
When you work with your body’s natural rhythm, you improve sleep quality, boost productivity, and reduce health risks. So if your a night owl, embrace it and try shifting meetings or deep work to later in the day. Maybe going to bed late isn’t so bad after all.
