Is Waking Up Earlier Actually Good For You?

Do you know the old saying "the early bird gets the worm?" It's common for people to think that waking up early allows for a more productive day. However, studies show this might not actually be true.

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For some people, waking up early can actually be counterproductive. Research shows that our biological clocks are not all the same, which means some people have longer circadian cycles. Our circadian rhythm is our internal clock and 47% of it is inherited from our parents.

Katharina Wulff, a biologist from Oxford University, believes pushing people out of their natural preferences can do more harm than good. She says that if "you disrupt it and push the body to be in the daytime mode [it] can have lots of negative physiological consequences."

If you wake someone up in the early morning, their bodies may actually still be producing melatonin because of the cycle disruption. If you are a night owl, waking up that early often means you're sacrificing sleep. This causes negative effects including sleep deprivation, poor concentration, and anxiety.

"If people are left to their naturally preferred times, they feel much better. They say that they are much more productive. The mental capacity they have is much broader," says Wulff.

There you have it! Next time your partner/parent/kid tries to wake you up before you do on your own, tell them science says you should stay sleeping! It'll make you more productive in the long run.