WHY MORNING PEOPLE ARE HEALTHIER THAN THE REST OF US

Think about it: if we still lived out in nature as the universe intended, we would all go to sleep a little after the sun set, and wake up as the sun rose, because our bodies would be more in tune with the natural rhythms of the world. Since we live in a man-made environment now, many of us have a hard time getting to sleep early and waking up early, because unnatural lights (such as those from computers, TVs and cell phones) keep us awake. Out in nature, we wouldn’t have any of these artificial light sources keeping us up.

Even if you have a hard time going to bed at a decent hour, you can train your body to become a morning person and reap all of the health benefits that go along with waking up earlier.

HERE ARE 8 REASONS WHY MORNING PEOPLE ARE HEALTHIER THAN THE REST OF US:
1. MORNING PEOPLE HAVE LOWER BODY FAT LEVELS.
It turns out that those who get most of their light exposure between 8AM and noon have lower body fat than those who obtain their Vitamin D later in the day. According to Northwestern University research published this past spring, people who got most of their sunlight during morning hours had a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who soaked up the sun later in the day. Something else interesting to note is that these results were independent of people’s activity levels or caloric intake.

 “If you don’t get sufficient light at the appropriate time of day, it could de-synchronize your internal body clock, which is known to alter metabolism and can lead to weight gain.”

2. THEY DRIVE BETTER.
Not surprisingly, morning people have better driving skills than night owls, according to a study done by Spanish researchers. Granada researchers studied the biological rhythms of 29 University of Granada students, some who identified as night owls, and others who labeled themselves as morning people. When they asked the night owls to drive at 8AM, they did significantly worse than when the researchers asked them to get behind the wheel at 8PM. However, the morning people performed well at both times of the day. The researchers found the morning people show more care to detail and exhibit higher diligence compared to night owls, which explains their ability to drive well at any hour of the day or night.

3. MORNING PEOPLE ARE GO-GETTERS.
Many studies have linked an ambitious attitude to higher wages, better job performance, and a greater rate of success than those who don’t exhibit such high levels of proactivity. When Harvard biologist Christoph Randler polled undergrads a few years ago, he found morning people had higher levels of agreement with statements such as “??I spend time identifying long-range goals for myself” and “I feel in charge of making things happen,” Harvard Business Review reported.


4. HAPPINESS COMES EASIER TO THEM.
Exposure to morning light can lower depression risk and boost energy levels, which may explain why morning people are happier overall than night owls.

When University of Toronto researchers surveyed more than 700 adults on their sleeping habits, mood, and overall health, they discovered that morning people who got up around 7AM or earlier had up to a 25 percent increase in feelings of happiness, cheerfulness, and alertness, Prevention.com reported.

5. MORNING PEOPLE EXERCISE MORE.
More and more studies have been proving that working out in the morning is ideal for those who wish to keep up a regular routine and see the best results from their workouts.

“In terms of performing a consistent exercise habit, individuals who exercise in the morning tend to do better,”?
Because they get their workout out of the way earlier in the day, they tend to stick with the routine easier than someone who gets home from work and must head straight to the gym afterwards. You could use the excuse of being too tired to workout when you get home from a long day at work, but for morning people, it invigorates them even more to jump out of bed and get their sweat on first thing in the morning.

6. BOSSES HAVE A BETTER IMPRESSION OF THOSE WHO GET UP EARLIER.
Corporate bosses tend to view morning people as more conscientious and ambitious, according to a 2014 study by the Journal of Applied Psychology. Supervisors think of people who clock in later as less diligent and mindful of their jobs compared to those who get to work earlier. However, if your boss turns out to be a night owl, then he or she will probably have a soft spot for night owls as well, and not come down so hard on you if you clock in late every now and then.

7. THEY GET BETTER GRADES IN SCHOOL.
“It’??s easier to get to your classes on time and study if you get up earlier,” study author Daniel J. Taylor, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of North Texas in Denton, told WebMD.com.

Although college students can choose what times to take their classes, early birds still get the worm. A study of more than 800 students found that morning people had a GPA that was a full point higher than that of their night owl colleagues (3.5 vs. 2.5).

8. MORNING PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIABETES HAVE BETTER BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS.

 Many studies have reported that going to bed late might negatively affect your blood sugar levels, as well as cause other health problems, such as coronary artery disease, metabolic syndrome, impaired glucose intolerance, and even obesity. Night owls also tend to consume most of their calories late in the day, which can cause metabolic issues down the road. One study found that, among Japanese adults with type 2 diabetes, night owls had higher HbA1C levels (a measure of blood sugar control), triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol than morning people.