Night owl or early bird, which is healthier? A neurologist answers

Do you love waking up at dawn and facing the day while contemplating the dawn? Or on the contrary, do you find it hard to fall asleep before one in the morning, sometimes later? It has nothing to do with habits, good or bad. It is only a question of genes because it is ingrained in us.

« This typology is the result of genetics, we are born like this…but this typology changes with age. Adolescents tend to go to bed late and prefer sleeping in. While older people get tired at the end of the day and like to go to bed early,” says Dr. Marc Rey, neurologist. It would therefore all be a matter of programming.

The risks of going against your natural rhythm

While some people are able to push back the alarm as long as possible before emerging, others start their activities at dawn, only to fall into the arms of Morpheus around 10 p.m. Unfortunately, it happens that the constraints of daily life disrupt our own biological rhythms.

« A baker cannot necessarily be a night owl. He is almost obliged to be an early riser. Generally speaking, people who are forced to get up early every morning to go to work must somehow thwart their natural predispositions in order to adapt “, the neurologist emphasizes. However, by going against one’s natural rhythm, one sometimes exposes oneself to risks.

“Sleep debt is one of the most common. If you sleep little because you go to bed late and are forced to get up early, the lack of sleep will accumulate and health risks will be triggered. Risks such as weight gain, anxiety, depression, and of course fatigue. ” warns the specialist.

How to know your ideal rhythm?

To learn more about how it works, or if you have trouble determining your typical chrono, you need to do some introspection. On weekends, you can look at what time you wake up and go to bed naturally, that is, without an alarm clock. The ideal way to avoid “suffering” too much during the week is to respect this rhythm (knowing that this is obviously not always possible) as much as possible. In any case, whatever your nature, never let a sleep debt accumulate for too long.

Thanks to Dr. Marc Rey, Neurologist and President of the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance (INSV).

Source: www.topsante.com