Why are some folks more creative, charismatic, and energetic at various times of the day? Are you a morning person or a night creature? If you have a difficult problem to solve, do you try to do it first thing in the morning or hold it until the still of the night? Do you fall to sleep easily or have trouble getting out of bed in the morning?
These behaviors are dependent upon one’s circadian rhythm, namely how one’s biological body clock functions. Cognitive functions, moods, and behaviors, along with sleep and wakefulness, vary among people. Early-to-bed and early-to-rise folks are known as “larks,” whereas others who stay up late at night and sleep in and are called “night owls.” This nomenclature is according to a recent Harvard Business Review article entitled “What Time of Day Are You Most Charismatic?” by Cristiano Guarana and Christopher M. Barnes.
The authors cleverly experimented with college students to measure charisma with respect to levels of alertness, energy, and mood. The hypothesis is that “larks” would be more inspirational and attentive in the morning than at night. The “night owls” would have the same attributes but with reversed timing—namely, they would be less motivational and thoughtful in the morning but strong at night.
After determining the characteristics—larks or night owls—of these “experimental” college students, the researchers asked each student to present a motivational speech, which was evaluated for “charisma.” As expected, time of day made a significant difference in effectiveness, with the larks doing great in the morning and the night owls functioning well at night. The same determination can be applied to a variety of human activities ranging from creative—graphic design and writing—to executive—negotiating and organizing—as well as sleeping.
Another closely related topic is “Chronobiology,” the study of circadian rhythms. This subject has been investigated by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a branch of the National Institute of Health. The master clock in the human body, the hypothalamus, is found at the base of the brain. This area receives direct input from the eyes, making perfect sense. Surprisingly, fruit flies have a similar function as do mice, plants, fungi, and other living organisms but without the size and sophistication of the human brain. The sleep cycle, hormone release, body temperature, eating habits, and alertness as noted above are all regulated by the master clock.
Examples abound of chronobiology dysfunction from sleep disorders, obesity, mental health problems, and jet lag as well as other modern maladies. Flying across time zones requires adjustment—a relatively new problem since transcontinental plane travel became commonplace. Additionally, prior to ubiquitous electrical power, most of civilization was limited to sun light and fire light for productive activities. Now with computer monitors and electronic devices emitting “blue” light at night, our biological clocks get even more mixed-up, causing insomnia and thus leading to further daytime dysfunction.
Understanding the time of day when one functions best is important self-knowledge. Scheduling smartly, developing good sleep hygiene, and addressing chronobiology will help everyone live a longer, happier, and healthier life.
