Gasconade County Republican

Written by Danielle Soest

 “The early bird gets the worm,” is a phrase most people have heard growing up about becoming an early riser.

 Benjiman Franklin has even stated, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”  This has been said and taught to most but is it truly the better side of the double-sided coin of sleeping patterns, the other side being night owls.
 An early bird is a morning person. They seem to function better in the morning; these people tend to arrive early to meeting or to school earlier then most. “I hate nights. I’m always up between 6:15am and 8:30 Am.”, stated Katie Mitchell. These people are the people who get up early in the morning to finish projects they did not finish the night before.  Being morning people, the early risers are usually those who go to sleep earlier because they are tired.
 A night owl is a person who can stay up until all hours of the night but love to sleep late. These people tend to be those who don’t function too well in the morning; they tend to stay up lat to finish projects or assignments because they find getting up early to be one of the hardest things to do in life. This description is that of most teenagers that attend Owensville high, “I don’t think until I leave my house, and about the middle of first hour I wake up,” said Rachel Kurrelmeyer.
 Early birds and night owls are not always this way by choice; this is dictated by the circadian rhythm of the individual. A circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological or behavioral processes of living entities. In other words, it controls the way one behaves through out the day.
 In some studies the night owl has a bit of an advantage over the early bird. The night owl can stay awake longer. Even though they are not early risers, they can function for a longer period of time. Their reflexes tend to be more active in the afternoon when those of the early birds are shutting down.  Neither being a night owl or an early bird is a good nor a bad thing; both are very proficient, but at different times of the day. “The bird catches the worm but the night owl catches the meateous mouse.”
Take the following test to find out if you’re an early bird or night owl:
1. When the alarm goes off, you:
a) Roll over, moan and then hit the snooze button.
b) Walk over to shut if off. You’ve been in the kitchen for 15 minutes already making breakfast and reading the morning paper.
2. Your morning ritual consists of:
a) Dress, eat some toast and get out the door in 15 minutes.
b) A morning workout, a breakfast of freshly squeezed juice, fresh fruit and crepes and watering the plants.
3. You are asked to attend 8:00 am meeting at work or school tomorrow. You:
a) Wonder if the alarm can be set that early and purchase lots of coffee.
b) Ask if you should come 30 minutes beforehand to prepare.
4. One of your favorite films starts at 11:00 pm on a work or school night, you:
a) Watch the movie and wonder how late can you show up tomorrow without anyone noticing.
b) Set the video recorder before going to bed and look forward to watching it tomorrow.
5. You call a friend at 9 pm and they are not home. You:
a) Leave a message to call you anytime tonight, you’ll be up.
b) Don’t leave a message—what if they call back at 9:30!!!
If you answered mostly A you’re a Night Owl.
If you answered mostly B you’re an Early bird.

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