3 Reasons Why Being a Night Owl isn’t Really Worth It

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st that you need.</p><p id="f85d">There will be times when you must wake up early, cutting your sleep down to just a few hours, which is never optimal. These irregularities in sleep cycles can lead to increased headaches, migraines, and, overall, just feeling sleepy and drowsy all day. Of course, these are not immediate effects, and that’s where most people get it wrong. Personally, being a night owl felt like the best thing ever at the beginning. I was able to stay awake for more hours of the day and felt like this helped me be more productive. However, I gradually realized that I was only hurting myself. These effects creep in so sneakily before you even realize they have happened.</p><figure id="951e"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*rZDKiMGnx_pjjNt_"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@a_d_s_w?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Adrian Swancar</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h1 id="419b">2. No Sleep = No Food</h1><p id="878d">And so the domino effect begins! It is pretty simple: when your sleep cycle is messed up, your food/eating schedule will get messed up, too. Most human beings eat three meals a day at specific time periods separated somewhat equally. However, staying up late can result in usually skipping meals, dehydration, as well as lack of energy. To get the right nutrients and stay active, it is vital to have a stable eating schedule. Yes, you can sometimes rely on that odd coffee or a quick snack to get you through the day. But do not underestimate the importance of a proper meal.</p><h1 id="d

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e98">3. The Anatomy of a Human Body</h1><p id="cf01">This is probably the simplest reason why being a night owl isn’t worth it, but it is also the hardest to wrap your head around. The truth is:</p><p id="b92e" type="7">A human body isn’t meant to stay up at night.</p><p id="7668">Through countless centuries and ages, it has been basic human nature to rest at night and stay awake during the day. The human body needs the sun, which is why societies have altered themselves to facilitate this simple feature of human beings.</p><p id="2443">Numerous studies have shown that staying up in the late hours can lead to hormonal changes inside the human body, affecting not only their physical but also mental state. It is simply not the default setting. And when you toggle the settings of your body, it will eventually harm you. Is it a rule that you have to sleep at night? No, but it is a design of your body that you have to adhere to.</p><div id="ef48" class="link-block"> <a href="https://medium.com/subscribe/@revponna?source=publishing_settings---user_settings----------------------------------"> <div> <div> <h2>Get an email whenever Revanth Ponna publishes.</h2> <div><h3>Get an email whenever Revanth Ponna publishes. By signing up, you will create a Medium account if you don't already…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*_vpxrD3T6C1dTRsy)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

3 Reasons Why Being a Night Owl isn’t Really Worth It

As a young teenager growing up, I loved to spend my nights staying awake. It was my favorite time of the day. Away from all the hustle and chaos of the world, I could focus on spending some ‘me’ time and focusing on my work. When the world was asleep, I used to get lost in my own imagination. These are probably the main reasons you will hear from ‘night owls’ when asked why they like to stay up late. And honestly, I agree. Midnights are the perfect time to get some privacy and spend time with yourself. There’s no one to judge you, no one to disturb you, and everything feels so peaceful.

But is it really worth it? Are the pros and cons of being a night owl, balanced? Or are we just harming our long-term health for short-term gains? Here are three reasons I discovered (from years of staying up late) why being a night owl isn’t really worth it:

1. The Sleep Cycle Conundrum

Oh yes, the deadly sleep cycle! The first and foremost aspect of your lifestyle that gets affected, which can have dangerous consequences on your physical and mental health. This happens for one main reason:

When you are a night owl, there is no guarantee you will get enough rest that you need.

There will be times when you must wake up early, cutting your sleep down to just a few hours, which is never optimal. These irregularities in sleep cycles can lead to increased headaches, migraines, and, overall, just feeling sleepy and drowsy all day. Of course, these are not immediate effects, and that’s where most people get it wrong. Personally, being a night owl felt like the best thing ever at the beginning. I was able to stay awake for more hours of the day and felt like this helped me be more productive. However, I gradually realized that I was only hurting myself. These effects creep in so sneakily before you even realize they have happened.

2. No Sleep = No Food

And so the domino effect begins! It is pretty simple: when your sleep cycle is messed up, your food/eating schedule will get messed up, too. Most human beings eat three meals a day at specific time periods separated somewhat equally. However, staying up late can result in usually skipping meals, dehydration, as well as lack of energy. To get the right nutrients and stay active, it is vital to have a stable eating schedule. Yes, you can sometimes rely on that odd coffee or a quick snack to get you through the day. But do not underestimate the importance of a proper meal.

3. The Anatomy of a Human Body

This is probably the simplest reason why being a night owl isn’t worth it, but it is also the hardest to wrap your head around. The truth is:

A human body isn’t meant to stay up at night.

Through countless centuries and ages, it has been basic human nature to rest at night and stay awake during the day. The human body needs the sun, which is why societies have altered themselves to facilitate this simple feature of human beings.

Numerous studies have shown that staying up in the late hours can lead to hormonal changes inside the human body, affecting not only their physical but also mental state. It is simply not the default setting. And when you toggle the settings of your body, it will eventually harm you. Is it a rule that you have to sleep at night? No, but it is a design of your body that you have to adhere to.