Can a night owl become an early bird?
When asked if a person’s natural circadian rhythm can be later, Dr. Malin responded that chronotypes may be dictated by genetics and age, as well as external drivers like work schedule. For these reasons, it’s “tricky” to answer whether night owls can turn into early birds and reap the potential health benefits of making that shift.
“Given that so many life factors can influence what our routine entails, it’s hard to know if we [can] truly change our chronotype or if rather we [can] learn to manage,” Dr. Malin said. “In either case, there is some work that suggests people can adopt earlier bedtimes and waketimes through practical recommendations.”
Specifically, he suggested increasing physical activity during the day, and adjusting bedtimes gradually by 15-minute increments.
“Go to bed 15 minutes earlier then wake up 15 minutes earlier,” Dr. Malin said. “In time, and depending on how things are going, this can expand to another 15-minute window. Then, during the earlier time waking up, a person can engage in light physical activity to help with promoting general fitness. If they can get outside with sunlight, that would be great too, as the natural sunlight would provide cues to the circadian system to adjust.”
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health. The investigators and Dr. Friedman disclosed no conflicts of interest.