Why some of us are early risers

 

 

Many people have difficulty getting up early

 

Are you a lark or an owl? Are you at your best early in the morning or late at night?

Whatever the answer, scientists believe they may now know why some of us are early risers while others prefer to burn the midnight oil.

The answer appears to lie in our genes.

Researchers at the University of Surrey say they have found a link between people's preference for mornings or evenings and a gene called Period 3.

This gene is one of those involved in regulating the body's internal clock. It comes in two forms - a shorter and longer one.

'Long and short of it'

Researchers have found that people with an extreme preference for early mornings are more likely to have a long version of Period 3.

In contrast, those with an extreme preference for evenings are more likely to have the shorter version.

Your day or night preference is obviously a complex behavioural trait. It is not solely down to one single gene

 

 

Dr Simon Archer

 

 

The findings are based on tests carried out on almost 500 people who recently visited London's Science Museum.

Researchers took samples from the cheeks of each of these people and analysed their DNA.

They also asked them to fill out questionnaires to determine whether they are morning or evening people, by asking them when they liked to exercise and how difficult they found it to wake up.

The researchers compared the results from the DNA tests to those from the questionnaires.

"We found most of the extreme morning preference people have the longer gene and the extreme evening preference people have the short gene," Dr Simon Archer, who led the study told the BBC.

"There are extreme morning people and extreme evening people and it seems that behaviour has a genetic basis to it."

Dr Archer said despite the findings, other genes and other factors also played an important role in determining who among us are larks and who are owls.

"Your day or night preference is obviously a complex behavioural trait. It is not solely down to one single gene.

"It is a combination of genes that interact together to form your body clock," he said

"But, of course, there is an influence from your lifestyle. It is not all to do with your genetics. You can chose to follow a particular life pattern. You can override your genes."

Dr Archer suggested the findings could have practical advantages for some people.

For instance, people with short versions of the gene may prefer to work nightshifts while those with long versions may prefer to opt for early starts.

"In our current society, where people are working more around the clock it is probably an advantage to certain people to be able to get up early in the morning," he said. The study is published in Sleep, the journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

the weird thing is that i'm very tired when i get up, but often i ain't tired in the evening anymore even if i haven't slept. if i go to bed early anyway, i can't sleep.

the weird thing is that i'm very tired when i get up' date=' but often i ain't tired in the evening anymore even if i haven't slept. if i go to bed early anyway, i can't sleep.[/quote']

 

Then you're obviously a night-owl, like me!!:)

I always get better as the day goes on................................;)

You could be right' date=' but [i']I [/i]no intention of doing that!!

Studies have also shown you are born with a genetic timeclock. You are either a morning or evening person. I am most definitely the latter.;)

I'm an evening person, definitely. I hate mornings...

I dont think I am anything. I always feel tired. I never want to wake up. I feel fine in the morning, except for being tired, and then when I get to work, I start to feel tired again, but then I leave work and I'm not feeling tired anymore. I honestly dont know how much sleep I need, because I feel like I never get enough. I've only felt that way when I got like 14 hours a couple years ago.

I'm an evening person' date=' definitely. I hate mornings...[/quote']

 

In which case you must prefer the winter when you hardly have any daylight!!:P

Thats so scary! I realised earlier I have made this topic before, but I searched for mine and it has the exact same title, EXACT

 

http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25474

 

Frightening.

Ahhh crap, this one is missing an 'of'.

 

Shit, there goes the scaryness.

i need 8 hours, but if i had a siesta at the evening, i don't know why at night i need like 10 hours :S

In an average lifetime I need about 8897676 hours of sleep.

i need 8 hours' date=' but if i had a siesta at the evening, i don't know why at night i need like 10 hours :S[/quote']

 

I thought siestas were being phased out in Spain??:thinking:

In which case you must prefer the winter when you hardly have any daylight!!:P

yes I like the winter but I prefer the autumn

I thought siestas were being phased out in Spain??:thinking:

siestas must be 1/2 an hour sleeping.. and it must make you feel relaxed.. but it make me want to sleep more, and in fact at night i sleep more hours than a usual day...

siestas must be 1/2 an hour sleeping.. and it must make you feel relaxed.. but it make me want to sleep more' date=' and in fact at night i sleep more hours than a usual day...[/quote']

 

But isn't it true that the Spanish government wanted to make siestas a thing of the past to fit in with the worktimes of the rest of Europe??:thinking:

But isn't it true that the Spanish government wanted to make siestas a thing of the past to fit in with the worktimes of the rest of Europe??:thinking:

 

lol i didn't know about it... could be they've said that, but i'm sure the prime minister of Spain have a siesta once a day... so...

like 10 :laugh4:

 

:uhoh:

Can get away with no sleep some nights. Regularly i think i could handle 6. Preferably 8-11.

weekdays i get about 5-6ish hours and weekends it's like 12! i think 8-9 is good 'though :)

 

:wideeyed: but i likes going 24hrs straight :wideeyed:

usually i sleep something between 6-8 hours,but then weekends i sleep sometimes even 12 hours.

And yeah, i love staying up late :cool:

usually i sleep something between 6-8 hours,but then weekends i sleep sometimes even 12 hours.

And yeah, i love staying up late :cool:

same here, but i hate waking up really late, like in the afternoon, and for the whole day, i feel all groggy.

i guess i'm an afternoon person; the evening goes by way too fast for me

5

Depends on what day it is.

 

Sun - Tues: 7 - 7.5 hours.

Wed - Thurs: 8 - 8.5 hours.

Fri - Sat. - 12 - 13 hours.

8 in weekdays

9 - 10 in weekend

5 everyday enough,well depends how long am i listening to Coldplay

9.............................