Can You Change Your Sleep Schedule?

Understanding the Early Bird and the Night Owl

Observe an early bird and a night owl in their natural habitats and you’ll notice distinct differences. The early bird rises with the sun, full of energy, but gradually becomes more exhausted as the day progresses, often crashing around sunset. On the other hand, the night owl wakes up long after the sun has risen, initially groggy but gradually coming to life, especially after a cup of coffee. They hit their stride later in the day, comfortably coasting past sunset and only heading to bed in the early hours of the morning.

Are Sleep Schedules Predetermined?

Many people can relate to either being an early bird or a night owl. But how many people truly fit these categories? And are our natural sleep schedules predetermined at birth, or can we change them? The truth is, there’s a lot of space between these extremes, and most people fall somewhere in the middle. These behaviors are determined by our circadian system, which is anchored by a pair of nerve cell clusters located in the anterior hypothalamus. These nerve cells respond to light exposure coming in through your eyes to track the day-night cycle that dictates your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm.

The Role of the Circadian System

The steady rhythm of the circadian system helps determine the body’s flow of hormones, with the broader circadian system acting like a conductor that keeps your organs functioning in time with one another. A major part of this performance is managing the body’s transitions between being awake and being asleep. By tracking how much light you typically get and when in your waking hours you usually get it, the system can make predictions about when you’re likely to need sleep and prepare your body accordingly. For example, if you consistently go to sleep around 10 pm, your circadian system will start producing sleep-inducing melatonin around two hours before then to tell your body it’s time for bed.

Can We Change Our Circadian Rhythm?

Everyone’s bodies are unique, so even two people with the same sleep schedule might have different experiences based on their circadian system’s hormonal quirks. For example, where early birds generally flood with cortisol just before waking up, night owls often have their cortisol peak roughly 30 minutes after getting up. Hormonal differences like these determine how you experience your circadian rhythm. And while these factors can shift with age, you’re unlikely to grow out of your body’s preferred sleep schedule. However, you can cultivate habits to help or hinder your circadian rhythm.

The Importance of Consistent Sleep and Light Hygiene

Keeping consistent sleeping hours helps your body accurately predict when to send out hormones, making it easier to stick to your schedule. Conversely, research in sleep-deprived college students has found their unpredictable sleeping habits weaken their entire circadian system. Compromised circadian rhythms are less effective at coordinating organ functioning and can incur health risks like metabolic disorders and vulnerable immune systems. But perhaps just as important as sleep hygiene is light hygiene. Getting sufficient contrast between bright daylight and dimmer nighttime light is essential for synchronizing your circadian rhythm, and nothing establishes this contrast better than sunlight. Even on overcast days, sunlight is much brighter than standard indoor lighting. So if you’re typically awake during the day, try getting outside as soon as possible to teach your body when to be active and alert.

The Challenge of Maintaining a Sleep Schedule

It’s difficult to maintain a sleep schedule that pushes against your body’s preferences. And even if you succeed for months, it only takes one bad night to send your circadian system back to baseline. But whether you’re an early bird, night owl, or somewhere in between, it’s important to remember that as long as you’re consistent, there’s no wrong time to wake up or go to sleep. What matters most is getting enough rest for the day ahead.