People smiling at the crack of dawn are happier all the time, suggests a new study from the University of Toronto. When researchers studied two groups of people—ages 17 to 38 and ages 59 to 79—early birds reported feeling happier and healthier than night owls.
Blame the phenomenon of social jetlag, which is when your social life throws off your body’s internal clock, says lead researcher Renee Biss, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto. “The biological clocks of night owls are out of sync with society’s expectations.” Read: A blaring Monday morning alarm clock bugs evening people worse than early risers.
The problem? Your preferred time of day is rooted in biology, says Biss. “The region of your brain that houses your internal clock determines different sleep mechanisms and times of day when you feel most alert,” she says.
Fortunately, there are easy ways to make your mornings more tolerable, or your evenings less sleepy. Here’s how.
If you’re a morning person
Put a cap on the booze. Everyone’s ready for drinks after work. The problem: Alcohol makes you tired and compromises the quality of your sleep, says Janet K. Kennedy, Ph.D., a psychologist in New York City. Plus, a 2011 study found that boozing before bed led men to lose as much as 30 minutes of sleep a night, and wake up twice as often as those who didn’t drink. Your move: Stick with a glass or two, and make sure to give your body the time it needs—about an hour per drink—to metabolize the alcohol before hitting the hay.
Track your time. “Melatonin—the sleep hormone—is secreted earlier in morning people than in night owls,” says Atlanta-based psychiatrist Tracey Marks, M.D. If you know when your energy dips, you’ll know when to fight back, says Laura Vanderkam, author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast. One day, keep a log of what you do at work each hour, and how productive you are at certain times. “It’ll show you the times you need to take a break,” Marks says.
Have a 2 p.m. plan. “We have a natural cycle of feeling energetically low around 2 p.m.,” says Marks. And it’s worse if you’ve been awake longer. Your move: If you can, work out. “It can keep you alert for up to four hours after you’re done,” says Kennedy. Not an option? Take a quick walk, surf the Web, or try deep breathing for a few minutes—anything to re-boot, Marks says.
If you’re a night owl
Plan personal stuff in the A.M. “The morning hours are good for things that you want to get done—exercise, creative work, even family time,” says Vanderkam. “You’re less likely to be interrupted.” Fill your mornings with fun—even something as simple as breakfast with your kids—and you’ll be more likely to actually enjoy them, she says.
Squeeze in some sun. “Natural light helps to determine your clock’s phase,” says Biss. Trick it into thinking it’s time to wake up by taking a walk, hitting the pavement, or even opening the shades in your home in the morning. It’ll become habit: “Early morning sun exposure can alter when your body starts to wake up in the mornings,” Marks says.
Prepare in the P.M. Capitalize on your nighttime energy by preparing your morning routine after dark. “Get the coffee ready to brew, pick out your clothes, and gather everything you’ll need to remember to bring with you when you leave,” says Kennedy. “The less you have to think about, the better.”