Why Night Owls Are More Intelligent Than Morning Larks!

Why Night Owls Are More Intelligent Than Morning Larks!

Some people are night owls, and others are morning larks. What makes the difference may be their levels of general intelligence.

Virtually all species in nature, from single-cell organisms to mammals, including humans, exhibit a daily cycle of activity called circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm in mammals is regulated by two clusters of nerve cells called the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the anterior hypothalamus. Geneticists have by now identified a set of genes that regulate the SCN and thus the circadian rhythm among mammals.

However, humans, unlike other mammalian species, have the unique ability, consciously and cognitively, to override their internal biological clock and its rhythmic outputs. In other words, at least for humans, circadian rhythm is not entirely a matter of genetics. Within broad genetic constraints, humans can choose what time to go to bed and get up. Humans can choose to be night owls or morning larks.

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Interesting study! Though there are exceptions to every rule, I have always thought this to be the case. Many 'intelligent' people I know are night owls and non conventional in many other aspects of their lives. Is it as they suggest, a conscious choice, or is there something else at play here?

Personally I find nights to be free of distraction, especially in relation to my creative space. I have always written my best music, created my best graphic design work or accomplished by best problem solving activities late at night. Maybe this is the time when we can do our best thinking, or perhaps some peoples minds are so active that they simply find it hard to sleep until total fatigue sets in?

What say you? Are you a night owl or a morning lark? When do you do your best thinking? ... Do you agree with this study? Keep the debate lively but civil!


IRM

yea im the night owl also ...


i thin its because the night is so quiet and so many less destractions to keep your mind occupied. Which makes for more productive work...


in the day you have lighting .. lots of noise .. lots of pollution ... lots of destractions etc


but night time you have the calm cool crisp quiet atmosphesphere where the mind can have more resouces used for whatever activity your doing

reply to post by InfaRedMan


People who function better in the morning, tend to be more successful and productive in life, except maybe for writers. Morning people, uh, go to work, accomplish more. That speaks to intelligence. Stability. Goal oriented.

That begs to differ with opinion in the OP.

mornin lark for me
i cant swim in the sea at night, the beach is where i do my best thinking and meditating.

reply to post by InfaRedMan


Unless I'm really tired, I always stay up late, for the same reasons you do (okay, minus the graphic design). For me, I think it's because there's less other stuff to focus on, so it's easier to focus on problem-solving. In the day, cars are driving and people are walking by, trees are moving outside, the phone's ringing, people are talking... everything is bright and active, and it seems to be a distraction. Whereas, at night, there's none of that, and I find it much easier to focus.
That's also why, when I want to think during the day, I walk back to the gravel pit a few minutes into the woods behind my house. It's not quite as distraction-free as the nighttime, but, back there, I can even talk to myself and no one's there to call the doctor to come get me.

reply to post by InfaRedMan

Though there are exceptions to every rule

Agreed.

Why?

Because I'm a night owl.

reply to post by seedofchucky


My thoughts exactly seedofchucky...

IRM

I'm a night owl too, and my best creative/cognitive work is done between 10:00 pm and 2:00 am. Unfortunately, society and my job have forced me to get up early every day, and therefore go to bed early each night. My best time is wasted.

Guess my late night gaming pays off then ?

Anyway, knowing my childhood IQ and me going to bed around 3-5am when I can and get up around noon, I guess it's true for me.
Or It's just pure luck...

But yes, I do find my gaming (as an example) to go better during the night.
I think it's because there is less distraction like sound of cars, people outside, .. and I even find that less light helps me focus. I for example keep part of my curtains closed, both because it is annoying on my screen, and I feel more relaxed when there's less light.
Of course it's rather unhealthy as well and staying in the dark will just make light even more irritating, but I do go for a walk outside during daytime on a daily basis.

During my days in highschool I also had a habit of doing most of my homework at the last moment (I don't advise it) which can often be at night. I do know that some of my presentations and part of my programming stuff that I did at night gave me some of my best results in school the next day.

So ye, I could agree with this being true.. at least for me.

Originally posted by angeldoll
reply to post by InfaRedMan

 

People who function better in the morning, tend to be more successful and productive in life, except maybe for writers.

My life is very productive and I'm not a morning person. Do you have a study that you can point to that supports your claim?

Originally posted by angeldoll
Morning people, uh, go to work, accomplish more. That speaks to intelligence. Stability. Goal oriented.

You are generalising! I go to work and also accomplish much. One of my jobs is as an educator. That speaks of intelligence, stability and goal oriented behaviour.

Originally posted by angeldoll
That begs to differ with opinion in the OP.

You can beg to differ. That's the whole point of constructive discussion.

IRM

reply to post by InfaRedMan


Great thread,

I am a night owl and it has been obvious to me for a very long time that my brain becomes much more active at night, my creativeness just excels to new heights in the nights.

Being a composer, producer and lyricist i would definitely say my best work has always been done during the night or very early hours of the morning id say from 11pm - 4am are the best times for me.

I just feel so much more at peace in the night. Beautiful silence to think clearly without distractions. No more of the dreaded rat race.

Also i have seen 5 of my 7 ufo sightings during these times, when i go to the garden for a dooby break and to just chill with the cosmos and my green friends.





S&F I'll be keeping an eye on this thread.


Peace

Originally posted by angeldoll
reply to post by InfaRedMan

 

People who function better in the morning, tend to be more successful and productive in life, except maybe for writers. Morning people, uh, go to work, accomplish more. That speaks to intelligence. Stability. Goal oriented.

That begs to differ with opinion in the OP.

That doesnt make them more intelligent . It just makes them smart enough to do the 9-5 like a good taxed live stock ...


those people also stress far more then the night owls which is bad for your health

i guess thats not so productive in life when you have all that stress to deal with it ?

its no wonder the biggest c.e.o's / president / business owners stroll in late to work

lol goal oriented . like night owls can't be goal oriented =p

like a child wanting a new bike can't be goal oriented

now back to work slave ! lol

Originally posted by Unrivaled1
reply to post by InfaRedMan

 

I just feel so much more at peace in the night. Beautiful silence to think clearly without distractions. No more of the dreaded rat race.

More people asleep and less crazy people cluttering the collective consciousness?

Make sense to me Unrivaled1!

IRM

Originally posted by seedofchucky
its no wonder the biggest c.e.o's / president / business owners stroll in late to work

Touché! Those guys know what time it is (pun intended)...

IRM

reply to post by InfaRedMan


I write music and sometimes work on other creative projects at night (post midnight), as well. There is something different about the morning/daytime which blocks me from total creativity and inspiration. Even if I block out all of the sunlight and I am not near other people or noise, there is just something wrong with trying to work in that capacity until night time. There have been times when I was able to create some really good things during the day, but it's not the norm.

As for mornings being more productive, well they are great for getting things done. Mornings are ideal for action which is a lot different than creating or thinking. I work (my real job) Monday - Friday in the morning, and it has a power to it. I wake up to a new day and charge into it and get a lot done. Later, when the day is over, I think about it.

That is a very thought provoking perception and highly possible in my opinion. I wonder has there been any studies on a collective consciousness, something for me to delve into later.

Peace

Originally posted by angeldoll
reply to post by InfaRedMan

 

That speaks to intelligence. Stability. Goal oriented.

Certainly you realize that said goals are typically; to become their own bosses and be able to stroll in to work whenever they feel like yes?


Night owl here, 10p-2a is when I get my most, best work done.

Originally posted by notquiteright
reply to post by InfaRedMan

 

As for mornings being more productive, well they are great for getting things done. Mornings are ideal for action which is a lot different than creating or thinking. I work (my real job) Monday - Friday in the morning, and it has a power to it. I wake up to a new day and charge into it and get a lot done. Later, when the day is over, I think about it.

Very well put notquiteright! We are indeed far more introspective at the end of the day. I guess that's what dreaming is for too! It would be interesting to see if our brainwaves are slightly different of a night time while we are conscious.

IRM

Toowit-twoo,

I hate mornings, alway's have to drag myself out of bed !

Night time however, I rarely am in bed before midnight, and increasingly find as I get older that I am up til 1 am.

I do keep trying to tell myself that I must go to bed earlier, but its just not happening, mind you even if I did, I would still lay there for ages trying to get to sleep.

Bonus if this means I have a brain!

reply to post by InfaRedMan


I had a friend who was "down on his luck" come stay with me for a month. He considered himself a superior businessman, thought he was extremely accomplished, and could do anything once he "got around to it".

After staying up on the computer all night, he typically arose after lunch. By the time he had coffee, checked "computer stuff", showered and dressed, ready to go tackle the "business world", it was four o'clock.
Game over with most businesses at five. Always a day late and a dollar short.

How intelligent is that? By the time he was ready to go, I had been up, taken care of my (large animals) gone to my office, had lunch, gone back to my office, made money, run errands, among other things. I would arrive home in time to see him emerging from the shower, ready to start "his day".

I once heard him say he "lived a life of the mind". lol. Good luck with that.
Intelligence includes being able to put what you know into action. Useless information no mattter the volume, is not living, except in front of a computer. If it pays, it's work. If it doesn't, it's just a hobby. He once showed me some magnificent things he had written for some computer website. "This is my work", he said. Does it pay? I asked. No? Then it's only a hobby. As far as I'm concerned.

I think "night owls", might often fit into this category. Don't mean to be insulting here.

Because actually, I dont' there is a significant different in these two categories.

I think there are just different personality traits, which cause one group to be more successful than others.