# Are you a night owl, or an early bird? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 10, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232 "2011-03-10T22:07:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/21 "2011-03-11T03:32:20Z")
I f I could, I’d nap from 3a.m. till 7a.m and from 2p.m. till 5p.m. Sleep is overrated anyways. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/22 "2011-03-11T05:08:00Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Night owl, if I could be. Left to my own devices, I’d stay up until around 2 a.m., and sleep until around 10 a.m. Alas, I work an office job, and so, I have to keep normal hours. 🙂 This is me. Now that I’m unemployed, I’m back to 2:00 am bedtimes, and up at 10:00. I know it’s not good for me to be like this, but dammit, it’s what I am. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/23 "2011-03-11T05:09:17Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That’s a really good question. I think most of us night owls have spent our lives apologizing and covering up for our “deficiency” - I’m not buying into it any more, though. Going to bed later and sleeping later is not a crime or a moral failing, even though the Corporate world would like you think it is. Damn straight! ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/24 "2011-03-11T06:21:34Z")
I voted Other. Under normal circumstances like on my days off or vacations I do not like to be out late at night. 9:00 pm and it is time to go home and go to bed. But I work graveyard shift 3 nights a week and have no trouble at all staying awake and alert. I am off to work now and get off at 9:00 am, then I will stay up all day for a total of about 24 hours then get a full nights sleep and work the day shift on Saturday, then I will be a day person for my 3 days off. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/25 "2011-03-11T07:32:53Z")
I remember reading a line from a Madeleine L’Engle memoir where she talks about keeping theater hours: in bed at 2 and up at 10 which has justified my sleep habits to myself. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/26 "2011-03-11T07:34:22Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Are you at your best in the morning, or the evening? And does it please the people around you, or does it cause problems? It causes problems with some people; the worst ones are the people who on one hand complain about having to do anything early, and on the other can’t comprehend how anybody might have a problem with “let’s meet for dinner at 9” (dude, that means the last person, 50% chance it’s you, will arrive at 9:30, we’ll pick a restaurant about 10, start getting served by half past, and by the time they’re asking who wants coffee I’ll be napping with my head on my arms). So basically it causes problems with people who have all the empathy of an igneous rock. Many of those people are also convinced that they can get up and be functional at any time they need to, yet IME they’re worthless before lunch and generally tend to tardiness. I don’t have a problem with people being useless before lunch - so long as they’re conscious of it and willing to accept that I’m worthless after teatime! I know a couple of people who can shuffle their clock around as needed and I’m officially envious of them. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/27 "2011-03-11T09:07:08Z")
Total night owl here. It’s pretty rare for me to even think about hitting the sack before 3 a.m. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/28 "2011-03-11T13:11:52Z")
I wake up every day between 4:30 and 5:00 AM without an alarm, so I guess that makes me a morning person. I’m usually asleep by 11 PM. I am almost always the first person at work. The first hour or so is usually super productive with no one around. My energy level is good all day. My wife sleeps later than I do, but goes to sleep at about the same time, so my early bird habits don’t cause any problems at home. At work, I have had supervisors who thought I was a slacker because I leave work between 3 and 4 PM fairly often. They are gone and I’m still here, so I guess my habits don’t cause any problems at work either. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/29 "2011-03-11T13:19:29Z")
I’m a lifelong night owl. It was great when I was was a bachelor and worked evenings. Unfortunately, these days my kids are up at 5am and I work at 7 am so when relapse into night owl mode it’s exhausting. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/30 "2011-03-11T14:17:07Z")
Both, for me, too. Read until 1:00 or so, up with Annoying Dog at 6:30. _nods off_ ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/31 "2011-03-11T14:48:14Z")
Early bird. I was up at 4 am today. Right now, I’m at my most productive after an hour at the gym. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/32 "2011-03-11T15:03:04Z")
Early bird by training. I’m up before 5am every morning for work, so 20 years or so of that schedule have left their mark. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/33 "2011-03-11T15:29:56Z")
I clicked ‘morning’, but it’s really a function of how long I’ve been asleep. I usually wake up after eight hours sleep and unable to stretch it further. So if I’ve crashed at 9:00, I wake up at five. If I stay up until 11, I’m up at seven. So I usually end up surfing for a couple of hours every morning, since the Ms can sleep for ten hours, easily. Definitely NOT a morning person. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/34 "2011-03-11T17:11:21Z")
I was born at 6:47 AM, and that was the last time I got up that early on my own free will. I hate getting up before 9:00 AM. Needless to say, I voted “night owl”. This quarter, my school schedule had me teaching four classes that began at 8:30 AM, and two classes that went from 6:00 - 11:00 PM - and I thought I was going to die…I just can’t keep up with that. Thankfully, my schedule for next term doesn’t have any classes until afternoon. I must be some kind of exception though. I have lots of friends and relatives who come to visit here in Las Vegas and stay with us. They are about my age (old) and get up at the crack of dawn, make coffee, wash clothes, sit on the patio, read their books, go get Krispy Kreme donuts at the local shop, check out the news - and just about the time they are ready for a nap, I am waking up… Then again, they go to bed between 8:30 and 10:00 PM, whereas I will head off for bed about 1 or 2 AM… ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/35 "2011-03-11T17:32:06Z")
I’m a night owl, and my mother was a morning person. Boy was that stunning. :rolleyes: But at this age, I no longer care what anyone thinks. Everyone can get up at the assk crack of dawn. I go to bed at 12 and wake up at 8 on the weekdays, and on the weekends I usually try to get to bed by 2-3 if only because it screws up my schedule otherwise, but left to my own devices, I generally end up reversing the days most of the time. I, too, have decided no more shame. I don’t sleep extra. I’m not lazy. I need my 7-8 hours of sleep a night, but why does anyone care when it happens? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/36 "2011-03-11T17:45:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Please don’t wake me, no > don’t shake me > Leave me where I am > I’m only sleeping Lennon/McCartney (But really Lennon) I have to get up during the week at 5:30 A.M. Therefore, I go to bed somewhere in the 9:30 to 10:30 P.M. neighbourhood, typically. On weekends I sleep in until 9:00’ish. I used to be a night owl. I just can’t take it anymore. ETA: _I’m at my best for about three minutes in the afternoon, but only if I’ve had my coffee._ I’m tired all the freakin’ time and would sleep for 12 hours a day if I could get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/37 "2011-03-11T18:15:53Z")
Morning person, definitely, though not necessarily by choice. It’s a big deal to me when I’m able to sleep past 6am, but I still need a couple of hours to wake up slowly before I have to interact with other people. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/38 "2011-03-11T18:26:19Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Early bird by training. I’m up before 5am every morning for work, so 20 years or so of that schedule have left their mark. You been institutionalized. Just carve your name on the post there and try not to hang yourself. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/39 "2011-03-11T18:31:07Z")
Neither, I like to go to bed early and sleep late. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232/40 "2011-03-12T02:29:16Z")
I am a night owl through and through. If I try to function during the day, I am cranky, tired, and my heartburn kicks into high gear. My head functions best in the wee hours of the morning and I feel better physically when it’s dark out. When I sleep at night, I need a minimum of 8 hours to be even somewhat functional in the morning. This rarely happens though because when I try to sleep at night, my insomnia attacks. I need way less sleep during the day and 10-2 tends to yield the best results for me. Unfortunately the current status of my life requires that I be up during the day. It’s kind of hard to go to college on 3rd shift. I take as many online classes as I can but some classes kind of require being in a classroom. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-night-owl-or-an-early-bird/574232.md?page=3)