Are you a morning person or a night owl? If you belong to the latter category, chances are you have heard it a thousand times: waking up early in the morning is the way to success. Most people believe that waking early unlocks the brain's maximum potential. But is it really true? According to Rachel Barr, a neuroscientist and author, the answer may surprise you.
The Case of 5 a.m. Wakers
Many believe that early rising is the golden ticket to success and peak mental performance. However, the neuroscientist, who researches in the field of sleep, thinks that the alarm does not get to decide your brain's performance. "We're often told that the key to productivity and success is early rising, but it's not just your alarm that decides when you and your brain properly wake up; it's also your body," Barr said in a video shared on Instagram.
She also explained how circadian rhythm plays a crucial part in how your day goes. "We have an internal timekeeping system that decides, you know, when we get hungry, when we get sleepy, and, critically, when we're the most alert and the most productive," she explained.
Your Genes Decide Your Schedule
Rachel Barr also shared how genetics play a role in determining whether you are in the 5 a.m. club or a late-night owl. "If you have the genetic profile of a night owl, it means that you sleep and wake a little bit later, and 5 a.m. is probably not going to cut it. Not only does that mean that night owls tend to be more productive later in the day, but it also means that if you're getting up at 5 a.m., you also run the risk of losing most of your REM sleep," she said.
So, if you are not a morning person and force yourself to wake up early in the morning, there is another critical consequence. "We sleep in cycles of non-REM sleep and REM sleep, non-REM sleep and REM sleep. The thing is, most of your REM actually happens later in the night, or in the wee hours of the morning. That's significant because we think that it's during REM that we do most of our emotional processing in the brain," the neuroscientist explained.
Even experts aren't immune to productivity culture's siren song. Barr revealed that she used to wake up pretty early, and she had problems with sleep, so she did some tests. And the results were surprising! "I typically wake up pretty early, but I struggle with sleep, so I got my genetic testing done recently. First of all, it was not looking good overall, but imagine my surprise when I found out I'm a night owl all these years. So, as you can imagine, I'm testing out a new schedule right now, and it's going pretty well," she revealed.
So, the next time someone starts blaming you for not being an early bird, share some of this science-backed wisdom. Also introduce them to some of the most successful people who thrived despite not being in the 5 a.m. club: Winston Churchill, Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Aaron Levie, Michael Lewis – the list goes on.
