And is it actually possible for your body clock to change? Am I really turning into an early bird or have I just been forced into a child-dictated schedule?
W
e all know that early birds get the worm. But who wants a worm? Not me. For most of my life I have identified as a night owl, clambering out of bed as late as possible and not so much seizing but reluctantly easing into the day.
US work culture is not really optimal for night owls. Rather, it favours CEOs who get up at 4am and run a marathon while the rest of us hit the snooze button. Still, I always consoled myself with the idea that night owls are actually more intelligent and creative than their early bird counterparts. Franz Kafka and Thomas Wolfe wrote at bedtime; Bob Dylan recorded at night. Even scientific studies indicated it was true.
However, something weird has happened. Due to a combination of existential dread, cutting out alcohol and having a small child who wakes me up at an ungodly hour, I’ve started to go to bed earlier and earlier. These days, a 9pm bedtime is perfection. The idea of routinely staying up until the wee hours, as I used to, is now horrifying.
