Lark vs. Owls – Battle of the sleeper
As the owl walks in, the larks gather around, sneering,
“So where have you been, sleepyhead” they larks said
“Sleeping…” the owls replied
“You are always late, you lazy owl,” the larks said, “You are going to get fired”
No, this is not about animal abuse, it’s about sleeping. Did you know that there are two basic types of sleepers? (Yes that was a very cheesy story)
Larks – early bird gets the worm
Larks are sleepers who have the natural ability to go to sleep early and wake up early. Most kids (5 to 10ish) are larks. This is because their days are shorter then an average adults’. Larks are viewed in our society (at the moment that is) as busy, efficient workers.
Owls
Owls are the exact opposite of larks; they wake up late and go to sleep late. Most teens are owls. This is because their days are lengthening. Being the opposite of larks, owls are often seen as lazy, inefficient workers.
Lark is better right?
No. Owls often sleep and work the same hours as larks do. Their schedule is just an hour or two (maybe more in extreme owls) later then a larks. However because the society schedule demands early waking hours, we only see owls getting to work late. We don’t see owls staying up and working all the way into the night. We automatically assume owls go to sleep the same time as larks but they still wake up later.
Larks also have a larger amount of stress hormone in their saliva then owls. Although this is not proven, many owls are much more creative then larks - possible side effect of having less stress
So should I be an owl then?
Well, you should be whatever comes natural for you. You should already know what kind of sleeper you are so just stick with it. If you are a lark, stick with being a lark, if you are an owl, stick with being an owl.
Ending
Larks, please don’t criticize the owls. Modern day society’s obsession with waking up early is hard enough on them already – by ruining their natural sleeping schedule. Just because they wake up late it doesn’t mean they are lazy, they work and sleep the same hours as larks.
This is such a great article - Sometimes I feel like an owl - I love working on my blog and getting things done late night - But I was able to train myself to become a lark - Getting up at 5am and working early morning - Was very hard to do - But this article explains so much.
Thanks
Merlin