Is it possible to turn yourself into a morning person?

Often, non-morning people are given the label : lazy. But is it really a choice to be a non-person? Is it possible to become an early bird, be one of those people who get up hours before work to make fresh juice, do some chores and do sport before heading off to work? 

Your body’s biological processes are called circadian rhythms. They work roughly on a 24-hour cycle and are the main pacemaker for which is called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). the circadian rhythms include sleep/wake cycles, temperature which drops at night; cortisol levels, which are elevated in the morning to prepare us for our day; urine production, which is reduced at night; as well as melatonin production, which is secreted at night to signal to the rest of body that it is night time.

However, circadian rhythms are in fact predominantly determined by a person’s genes, meaning it can be difficult to change your sleep patterns in the long run and become a morning person. The same goes for how many hours of sleep a person needs, it is also determined by your genes, some people may only need four to five hours of sleep while others may need a minimum of ten hours.

If you do want to become an early bird, “you can influence your body clock using exposure to light. Morning light is the establishing factor in determining circadian rhythms,”according to a professor of sleep medicine. This means that the earlier you expose yourself to light, the more likely you’ll feel sleepy earlier and want to go to bed earlier. To do this, you can start waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends and avoid pressing the snooze button by placing your phone or alarm clock at the other end of your room.

Lack of sleep can cause health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and obesity. “The hormones leptin (which reduces appetite) and ghrelin (which increases it) both change in the direction of increasing appetite when we don’t sleep enough. There is a measurable effect, studies are quite clear that appetite changes based on those hormones, and even preference for food changes to fat and carbohydrate as opposed to protein. The increase in calories may only be 100 calories a day or less but many pounds over a year,” according to the professor of sleep medicine.

How to get a good night’s sleep 

There are some easy ways to help ensure you get enough sleep. It is best to avoid caffeine after 2pm as well as spicy food. When it comes to your sleeping environment, you’ll get a better night’s sleep if you are in a cool, dark and quiet space and avoid blue light in the evening. The benefits of a goodnight’s sleep include a boost in productivity as well as alertness throughout the day, allowing you to get more things done.