Don't you envy those people who bounce out of bed early in the morning with a spring in their step? Or maybe you are lucky enough to be one of them! The early bird catches the worm, so they say, and pop culture is filled with variations on the theme that early risers do better in life, get more done and usually with a smile or their face.
Countless articles promise us that if only we could drag ourselves out of bed an hour earlier in the morning, we'd become super productive, just like the world's leading entrepreneurs.
If you're a night owl who prefers to stay up late and nest cosily under the duvet in the morning, you might be hoping it's not really true. But in fact, the psychology of 'chronotypes', as it's known, largely backs up the popular image of early rising, happy go-getters; though, as ever, the reality is a little more nuanced.
One detail to bear in mind is that actually the majority – around 60 per cent – of us are not larks or owls, we're an intermediate mix of the two.
Another factor to consider is that chronotype isn't just about the time you go to bed and get up in the morning, it's also about your optimal time of functioning – larks tend to be at their best earlier in the day, while owls tend to function better later on, which could have obvious advantages for certain career paths involving evening work or night shifts.
