Guest post by Laura Buckler

The old saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. Do you come from a family of early birds? They’re up as soon as the alarm goes off, chirpy and happy. Meanwhile, you struggle to wake up, and getting up is the last thing you feel like doing.

We’re programmed from a young age to believe that those that get up early have a better chance of success than those that don’t. But how true is that really? In truth, it’s all about your body’s biorhythms and in this respect, we’re all unique. The important thing is to listen to your body and follow its cues.

Losing steam in the afternoon

Have you ever noticed that some colleagues ‘fade’ at about 16:30 each day? In the middle of a crisis that requires late nights, they cannot contribute because they’re so tired. These early risers have hit and passed their peak, and their bodies are getting ready to wind down for sleep. A study at the University of Liege in Belgium found that a night owl could be more alert and responsive 10.5 hours after waking. An early bird could not.

Sleep deprivation

When a person who is an early riser is forced to go to bed late due to circumstances beyond their control, their body is still programmed to wake up early. A few nights like this will see them start feeling sleep-deprived. Sleep deprivation is a common cause of mistakes and accidents. You’d think that sleep deprivation would help you to get some quality sleep when you finally turn out the lights, but it doesn’t. Sleep deprivation can cause various disorders and inconveniences, including somnambulism.

Adverse health effects

A University of Westminster study found that people who wake up early had higher levels of the stress hormones cortisol. Their cortisol levels remained higher for the course of an entire day. Those who slept until at least 7 am had lower cortisol levels. Extended periods of elevated cortisol levels may cause side effects such as a weakened immune system, depression, and headaches and migraines.

Early bed routine

A person who is an early riser generally goes to bed far earlier than a night owl. It is essential to keep a mostly stable sleep pattern to ensure quality sleep. That means that they have to miss out on social occasions and other activities that round you out as an individual. A lot of networking done at such events can advance your career, but you’ll miss out on all of it if you’re home preparing for bed.

No evidence that early risers are more successful

Some of the most successful businesspeople in the world admit that they are not morning people. They tend to sleep in a bit and make a later start to their day. According to a report in, billionaires such as Warren Buffet, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Tesla’s Elon Musk do not rise early. They prefer to work later into the evening and wake later in the morning.

Do you have opposite examples?

Laura Buckler writes about freelancing and lifestyle. With a healthy approach full of motivation dedicated toward the people who view her work, she offers endless motivation when it comes to dealing with life. Catch up with her on Twitter.