10 Things Night Owls Know to be True
Love being up while the world slumbers? Prefer a really late bedtime to an early night? These observations on night owl life may ring true
Most people are either night owls or larks, happiest either staying up late or rising early. This is partly due to our genetic make-up. Animal studies suggest that being a morning or an evening person may be built into our genes, like having red hair or blue eyes. That’s why serial night owls will tell you that going to bed late is not simply a choice, it’s part of who they are. Recognise yourself as a creature of the night, too? Then you might identify with some of these ‘truths’!
You need a good alarm clock
Being a night owl does not, unfortunately, mean you can do without the recommended seven hours sleep a night. In fact, a night owl’s nocturnal ways may be written into their very genes, making jumping out of bed at 7am a challenge. So if you’re staying up late but have places to be in the morning, best to invest in a good alarm clock. Or two…
Check out 10 things organised people do first thing in the morning
Being a night owl does not, unfortunately, mean you can do without the recommended seven hours sleep a night. In fact, a night owl’s nocturnal ways may be written into their very genes, making jumping out of bed at 7am a challenge. So if you’re staying up late but have places to be in the morning, best to invest in a good alarm clock. Or two…
Check out 10 things organised people do first thing in the morning
Snacks are required
Staying up into the small hours? You will need snacks. By 2am, your pasta dinner will feel like a really long time ago. Now is the moment to reach for a late-night top-up…
Staying up into the small hours? You will need snacks. By 2am, your pasta dinner will feel like a really long time ago. Now is the moment to reach for a late-night top-up…
TV becomes unpredictable
Those who head off to bed early may worry that they’re missing out on all the best telly. That’s true, but only up to a point. Any night owl will tell you that after about 11pm, things become a bit unpredictable on mainstream TV.
Yes, the odd gems crop up in the listings, from brilliant old films to quirky arts shows, but then again, there are the dull and downright dubious filler programmes, too. Grannies Make You Laugh Out Loud on Channel 5 anyone? Thank goodness for box sets and iPlayer providing decent viewing at any time of day!
Those who head off to bed early may worry that they’re missing out on all the best telly. That’s true, but only up to a point. Any night owl will tell you that after about 11pm, things become a bit unpredictable on mainstream TV.
Yes, the odd gems crop up in the listings, from brilliant old films to quirky arts shows, but then again, there are the dull and downright dubious filler programmes, too. Grannies Make You Laugh Out Loud on Channel 5 anyone? Thank goodness for box sets and iPlayer providing decent viewing at any time of day!
You have extra time to get jobs done… possibly
Some night owls use those extra hours spent up late for getting things done, whether that’s catching up on paperwork, organising a photo album or planning a holiday.
That said, being a night owl does not always mean productivity. Night is still the downtime in our internal body clock, so we are pre-programmed to at least rest, if not sleep, at night. This may mean that all night owls achieve during a late night is a lot of reading or TV viewing!
Discover 8 modern ideas for a more marvellous home office
Some night owls use those extra hours spent up late for getting things done, whether that’s catching up on paperwork, organising a photo album or planning a holiday.
That said, being a night owl does not always mean productivity. Night is still the downtime in our internal body clock, so we are pre-programmed to at least rest, if not sleep, at night. This may mean that all night owls achieve during a late night is a lot of reading or TV viewing!
Discover 8 modern ideas for a more marvellous home office
This could be your only chance to be alone
If you enjoy your own company, but find everyday life is always about being with people, staying up late may be your only opportunity in 24 hours to have some time alone.
If you enjoy your own company, but find everyday life is always about being with people, staying up late may be your only opportunity in 24 hours to have some time alone.
Observing the night-time world is a treat
Perching in a window seat and gazing out at the night-time world can be fascinating, as any night owl will tell you. From spotting a fox trotting down the street to following the light on a plane as it blinks across the sky; from watching the moon rise over the trees to seeing the lights twinkling in an urban skyline, viewing the late-night world is magical.
Perching in a window seat and gazing out at the night-time world can be fascinating, as any night owl will tell you. From spotting a fox trotting down the street to following the light on a plane as it blinks across the sky; from watching the moon rise over the trees to seeing the lights twinkling in an urban skyline, viewing the late-night world is magical.
Breakfast is not your favourite meal of the day
Night owls may prefer an extra hour pottering downstairs the night before than a leisurely breakfast in the morning. This means the first meal of the day can be a hurried affair. Forget grazing on pastries and quaffing hot coffee – night owls may prefer to grab a quick tea before racing for the door and nibbling something at their desk later.
Take these easy steps to make your days more enjoyable and meaningful
Night owls may prefer an extra hour pottering downstairs the night before than a leisurely breakfast in the morning. This means the first meal of the day can be a hurried affair. Forget grazing on pastries and quaffing hot coffee – night owls may prefer to grab a quick tea before racing for the door and nibbling something at their desk later.
Take these easy steps to make your days more enjoyable and meaningful
Staying up is a mini act of rebellion
As children, we’re told when to go to bed, and as adults, we’re obliged to live according to established routines – the familiar 9 to 5. So every night owl, deep down, will admit that staying up late feels like a tiny act of rebellion. It’s about thumbing your nose at established conventions around when to sleep and when to wake, and discovering a world of which few people take advantage.
As children, we’re told when to go to bed, and as adults, we’re obliged to live according to established routines – the familiar 9 to 5. So every night owl, deep down, will admit that staying up late feels like a tiny act of rebellion. It’s about thumbing your nose at established conventions around when to sleep and when to wake, and discovering a world of which few people take advantage.
Being a night owl can boost creativity
There’s something about the quiet magic of night-time that many night owls claim boosts creativity. And, while early birds are productive – grabbing an extra hour or two for writing or thinking – there’s a limit to the time they have. The normal working day will swing around and demand their attention, preventing them from getting truly immersed in a project.
For night owls, there’s no such problem. Those who stay up can indulge in hours of work, thought or creativity, while those who rise early have the working day as an ever-looming deadline.
TELL US…
Are you a night owl? What other late-night truths do you know? Add them to the Comments below.
There’s something about the quiet magic of night-time that many night owls claim boosts creativity. And, while early birds are productive – grabbing an extra hour or two for writing or thinking – there’s a limit to the time they have. The normal working day will swing around and demand their attention, preventing them from getting truly immersed in a project.
For night owls, there’s no such problem. Those who stay up can indulge in hours of work, thought or creativity, while those who rise early have the working day as an ever-looming deadline.
TELL US…
Are you a night owl? What other late-night truths do you know? Add them to the Comments below.
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While late-night box-set binges have their appeal, many night owls also know the joy of reading, quietly, late into the night.
There’s a special hush that comes over a house when other family members have gone to bed and the outside world is less hectic that really lends itself to reading. You’re not alone, since other people are upstairs or in neighbouring bedrooms, but the house is deliciously peaceful and the light from a single reading lamp incredibly intimate.