If getting out of bed at 7am is a torture

Getting out of bed this morning at 7 am was torture, it basically took two coffees just to get me to open my computer. You might feel identified, although you might also be rolling your eyes at me thinking “pfff… it is not that bad”. All of us fall into a sleeping pattern category and I happen to be what’s called a night owl, meaning that I go to bed late and wake up late (when I am able…).

In this blog post, I will explain the difference in sleeping patterns and the characteristics of each group, which will let you realize when you are most productive.

Although we are constantly exposed to articles promising a method to go from a late own to an early lark, I am sorry to tell you that there is nothing you can actually do about it. I may have bust your bubble there but our sleeping patterns are determined by our DNA, which makes them part of who we are and how we behave.

First, I’ll start by explaining each of the categories…try to analyze in which of those you fit better and remember that life’s not black and white: you may be somewhere in between. We tend to be more productive in our “active hours”, therefore, by knowing what our active ours are, we can know when to schedule our most challenging tasks. The two main categories are night owls and early larks.

Persistence vs. impulsiveness

According to the University of Barcelona, larks are known to be more persistent and patient when performing tasks, meaning that they don’t fall easily into “meltdowns” (clearly not me… I melt down all the time). On the other side, owls are more impulsive and seek change which makes them more likely to act upon their wishes.

Morning: friend or enemy

This point is the most relatable one to productivity! Larks wake up feeling refreshed and active which makes them perfect for working in the morning. On the other side, owl wakes up feeling groggy and actually experience the rush of energy after 6 pm, making them great night workers.

Inverse creativity

Surprisingly enough, we tend to be more creative on our off hours, shocking, right? That means that night owls are more creative during the day and larks are more creative during the night. Next time you need to come up with a really good idea, try doing it during your off hours and see if it works!

Now that you know which signs to look for, get along and thoughtful analysis of yourself and find out if you are a night owl or a morning lark. For a more thorough examination, fill in the following test and you will receive your results by email. By knowing this piece of information that seems totally irrelevant, you will be able to schedule your most productive hours for challenging tasks and your most creative hours for tasks that require your brain juices going crazy! Remember that you don’t have to be one or the other, but could be in the middle, making your most productive hours from 10 am to 7 pm.

The most important thing, in my opinion, to absorb from this post is that our sleeping patterns are part of who we are; although we are raised to believe that waking up early, or maybe working until late is what makes us successful, I am sorry to say, it’s not. Since we can’t change the way our sleep works (genetics…), we might as well use it to our advantage, shall we? Try it out and share your results!