"Owls" and "larks": Human biological rhythms. Owl Man - appearance and behavior

Healthy sleep- one of the integral parts of human life. The body relaxes and regains strength. We relax not only physically, but also emotionally. Minimizing activities has healing effect. The nature of daily activity is different for everyone. But changing biorhythms is quite difficult. Let's try to understand how chronotype (time of wakefulness and working capacity) affects the character, health, and social status of a person.

Chronotype is determined by the peaks and valleys of mental, physical activity during the daily cycle. So-called larks wake up in the morning without special effort. Maximum performance lasts until noon. Towards the end of the day, the energy supply disappears, and they go to bed as early as possible. It is quite difficult for them to adapt to a new work schedule or lifestyle. At the same time, well-being and general indicators Their health is much higher than that of owls.

Early wakers are more satisfied with their sleep than night owls. American scientists came to this conclusion after research. Larks are non-conflict, unsure of themselves, closed, conservative and straightforward. At work, their self-discipline, efficiency and punctuality are valued.

An early rise can throw you off track by noon. Efficiency increases in the evening. The peak occurs in the evening and night hours. Despite the fact that owls are accustomed to falling asleep much later than midnight, it is much easier for them to switch to a “normal” mode of life.

The plasticity of biorhythms has rewarded people with nocturnal activity with a stable psyche. They easily cope with failures, are not afraid of difficulties and stressful situations. Due to their balanced and calm nature, owls are more prone to logical thinking. They maintain composure and are not subject to panic attacks. Owls do a great job complex professions- firefighters, astronauts, sappers, pilots and the like.

But every rule has its exception. There is an ancient type of people with a life rhythm adapted to the change of day and night. The so-called pigeons wake up later than larks. Peak activity (mental and physical) lasts from 10 am to 6 pm. Pigeons go to bed around 23.00.

Thanks to adaptation, they easily adapt to changes in light and darkness. Only moving long distances, as well as changing time zones, can affect the biological clock. For example, if the time difference is more than three hours, pigeons will have insomnia at night and will be tired and drowsy during the day. According to research, when moving west, the biorhythms of pigeons lengthen.

Who has an easier life: larks or owls?

Experts say that larks have good health. After all, humanity lived according to the solar schedule for many millennia. That is why the theory of observing the sunrise and sunset schedule is recognized as the most favorable and natural.

Melatonin (the hormone of youth) is secreted in dark time days. Therefore, the content is biologically active substances in owls it is significantly lower than in larks. Low concentration leads to premature aging.

The hormone of vigor (cortisol) begins to act in the morning. But with owls, as a rule, he is still “sleeping.” Therefore, sleep at night is considered the most effective for processing information received during the day. If a person does not sleep at night, this leads to brain overload. The body quickly becomes exhausted and tired.

Proponents of a nocturnal lifestyle argue that larks are more irritable and hot-tempered. People of this chronotype are forced to wake up in the morning and come into contact with others. This is the most inappropriate time for resolving conflict situations.

Chronotype - heredity or lifestyle?

While studying the phenomenon of “larks” and “owls”, scientists discovered interesting facts. The same gene is responsible for determining the chronotype. But in only fifteen percent of cases, belonging is caused by hereditary material. For the remaining subjects, daily active activity completely depended on lifestyle.

American researchers have identified the relationship between snoring, as well as dangerous apnea (temporary cessation of breathing during sleep) with human biorhythms. In their opinion, owls are more likely to suffer from sleep disorders and are more prone to obesity. Late falling asleep, as well as overwork, increases pain threshold sensitivity.

According to the survey results, male early risers have on average five times fewer sexual partners than night owls. The reason for this pattern is considered to be active pastime at night and increased level testosterone.

You can learn interesting information about different chronotypes from the story:

Adaptation of the body

During life, the chronotype changes several times. As children, we tend to be early risers. Gradually, after school, evening and night activity begins. With the birth of a child, parents again join the larks. But after growing up, they can again return to a nocturnal lifestyle. In old age, waking up early is as natural as for small children.

It may seem that the restructuring of the chronotype occurs very quickly. In practice this is true. But it will take several months to transition from a lark to an owl without consequences. For the reverse transformation, seven to nine days are enough. Such sharp break due to the fact that early sleep and rising are more suitable for the human body.

If you need to quickly change your daily routine, use a simplified method. For example, if you work five days a week, you should wake up no earlier than 11 a.m. on Saturday. You need to stay the night from Saturday to Sunday without sleep. By early Sunday evening you will feel sleepy. But this technique is not suitable for everyone. Still, a gradual transition helps reduce the load. First of all, listen to your body.

Mixed types of daily activity

Human biorhythms are rarely found in pure form. Most people are of the other types. For example, lark pigeons. Representatives of the category cope well with waking up in the morning, which significantly extends their working day.

But if you stick to this regime long time, physical and mental activity will decrease. In summer, a decrease in performance appears after 16 hours. In late autumn and winter, performance can remain up to 18.00 hours.

Experts advise providing this type of person with a short period of adaptation. nap. A half-hour rest is enough to recuperate and transition to evening or night work.

We determine our type and adapt to the conditions of modern society

If you find it difficult to effectively use your inner strengths, reconsider your schedule. Determining your chronotype will help you maintain spiritual balance.

There are several ways to identify the nature of activity. The method of calculating the Hildebrand index is especially popular. To determine the indicator, it is enough to measure the pulse and breathing rate. It is advisable to carry out the test early in the morning, before getting out of bed.

If the ratio is above five to one, the person is considered a morning person. A ratio of less than one in three indicates that they are owls.

A borderline value indicates a blurred chronotype. A person may be a pigeon or a mixed type.

For a more accurate result, long-term testing will be required. It is advisable to conduct the assessment over several weekdays. You need to take the average value into account.

You can also determine daily activity using body temperature. It is advisable to take several measurements - immediately after waking up in bed and an hour later. All this time a person must deal with current affairs. A stable thermometer reading indicates the chronotype of a lark. An increase in temperature of up to one degree is typical for owls.

Also developed psychological tests. If the result indicates increased performance and activity at midday, the study participant is a morning person. The owls come to life closer to six o'clock in the evening. It is easier for pigeons to do business after 15 hours.

If the test is ambiguous, several help useful tips. For example, for a weakly expressed evening chronotype “night owl”, the optimal awakening is from 10 to 11 am. Unfortunately, the work schedule is aimed mainly at early risers. Therefore, to make waking up easier, you should use a soft alarm clock. Devices have been developed that emit an unobtrusive aroma or pleasant quiet music.

After waking up, you should immediately take cold and hot shower and have a drink invigorating drink(green tea with honey and lemon). After water procedures you can afford a cup of coffee. Essential pine oil perfectly relieves stress and improves your mood.

The stomach of owls and representatives of the mixed type wakes up only after 2 hours. Drink mineral water.

Focus on peak intellectual activity. In owls, the increase in efficiency occurs from 13.00 to 14.00, from 18.00 to 20.00 and at night - from 23.00 to 01.00 hours.

Don't overload your body with heavy loads in the morning. physical exercise. At 13.00 you can go jogging. Go swimming in the evening.

Night owls and borderline types often have trouble sleeping. Therefore, try to go to bed at the same time. Stop working on the computer or watching TV programs half an hour beforehand. A relaxing bath and a walk on the fresh air. You can ventilate the room and drink half a glass of milk with honey. It is best not to overindulge in heavy foods 2 – 3 hours before bedtime.

Identifying your chronotype and changing your daily routine can help restore mental and physical balance. It is important to listen to your body. Create an individual work schedule and follow proper nutrition. After all, each person has his own needs, as evidenced by different chronotypes.

Owl and lark: determining the chronotype

When asked whether anyone goes to bed on time, many will answer in the negative, while others will probably add with dignity that they are a “night owl.” And the “owl man,” as many believe, is determined by Mother Nature herself to stay awake at night and fall asleep only in the morning.

However, this is not quite true. Scientists have repeatedly proven that the ancient theory about “watchmen” and “hunters” is not worth a damn. According to this theory, the division of people into “owls” and “larks” supposedly occurred in ancient times at the genetic level, and since then has been passed down from generation to generation.

This is not true. Modern scientists know very well that the sleep pattern of a particular person is in no way inherited.

Morning or evening types of wakefulness can only be formed individually and only under the influence of certain life situations. Whether a person becomes a “lark”, or a “night owl”, or the so-called arrhythmic, largely depends on his character, lifestyle, and also on the type of activity.

Of course, according to natural biorhythms, a person by his natural nature tends to be a lark, like everyone else biological organisms in this world. All our main biological functions are adapted precisely to this regime.

For example, such a characteristic as body temperature. At night it decreases. This happens even among those people who night shift perform heavy physical work. But the constant alternation of wakefulness and sleep can ultimately lead to the physiological processes of the body adapting to new conditions.

For example, heart rate. As a rule, it is always higher in the morning, but for those people who work at night, it begins to increase over time in the evening. This is how an “owl” is “born”.

But all this is not in vain for our body. By disrupting sleep patterns, we create for the body extreme conditions, which lead to disruption of its normal operation.

Therefore, we can say with confidence that the so-called “owl” is a type of wakefulness artificially created by man, from which nothing good can be expected.

According to scientific data, the body of “owls” at night requires a kind of doping, which consists of an increased daily release of hormones. This release in night owls is one and a half times higher than the hormonal release in early risers. That is, the activity that nature did not provide for must be carried out at the expense of something.

And this cannot be painless for the body. The increased release of norepinephrine and adrenaline leads to metabolic disorders, to the accumulation of metabolic products in the blood, and the deposition of these products on the walls of blood vessels.

As a result, there are ideal conditions for atherosclerosis, hypertension and many other diseases. Our activity in vespers and at night comes at too high a price for us.

It is in “night owls” that myocardial infarctions occur one and a half times more often than in “larks”. Moreover, the opinion of many night owls that they work better at night than during the day is completely unfounded. It's just an illusion.

It has been experimentally proven that more high level sensorimotor reactions in the same “owls” are observed, after all, in daytime, not at night. Therefore, if you consider yourself an inveterate “night owl”, try to get out of this mode and move into the category of “larks”.

Changing over is not as difficult as you might think. Try moving the activities you do at night to the morning. After all, there is no difference! You worked at night - sleep in the morning. And if you slept at night, you can work in the morning, which will be more beneficial for your health.

If you follow these simple rules, you will definitely become a natural “early person,” and your body will undoubtedly thank you for it.

“He who gets up early, God gives him,” says the famous proverb. Its English-language counterpart also promises to make a person who is used to rising at dawn healthy, rich and smart.
Our world was originally designed for early risers. Perhaps because this biorhythm is more natural for humans. Or perhaps simply due to the fact that the electric light bulb was invented quite recently, and humanity got up and went to bed following the sun, adapting its sleep and wakefulness to natural “lighting”.

However, the early bird biorhythm is still considered healthier and more beneficial. Lately scientists began to conduct research to find out whether some chronotype (a specific organization of the work of the whole organism during the day) really has advantages over others. As it turned out, it was not in vain that nature created some of us “midnight birds”: both larks and owls have their own strengths and weak sides. And changing your chronotype will not make you smarter or healthier.

The terms “owl” and “lark” arose only in the 70s of the 20th century. By this time, doctors noticed that people have different modes of sleep and wakefulness that are acceptable to them. “Night owls” traditionally include those who would prefer to go to bed after midnight and get up after ten or eleven in the morning. Larks are nodding off by ten in the evening, but they easily rise to eight - and at seven, and sometimes at six or even five in the morning. The intermediate type is called “pigeons”, or arrhythmics. They are the most adaptable, but most often gravitate towards earlier or later birds.

The easiest way to determine your chronotype, that is, your natural rhythm of body functioning during the day, is on vacation. What time do you get up and go to bed if you don’t need to rush anywhere? There is also a method for determining “owlness” or “larkness” by body temperature. Place a thermometer next to your bed and measure your body temperature immediately after waking up. After this, get up and do your usual activities, and repeat the measurement an hour later. If the temperature remains the same, most likely you are a morning person. If it rises by 0.6-0.8 degrees, you are a night owl. A slight change in temperature of 0.2-0.4 degrees indicates a “dove”.

What about the advantages of one chronotype over another? Is it true that waking up early is healthier and more natural, and sleep before midnight, as our mothers and grandmothers liked to say, is the most fulfilling? Research by scientists from different countries We discovered that proverbs lie to us. “Owls” and “larks” really differ in character, degree of activity and even a set of chronic diseases. But it’s impossible to say that being a “lark” is better than being a “night owl,” or vice versa.

Larks: good performers.

Early birds are real conservatives. Scientists have even come up with an evolutionary theory to explain this pattern. They say that the most curious and “non-standard” representatives of the human race in ancient times They couldn’t sleep when they were supposed to—at sunset. These were the first “owls” - creators who did not obey general laws. But the “larks” were hardworking, diligent and committed to established routines: go to bed after sunset, get up at dawn, do their work.

Owls are creators. As mentioned above, owls are more curious and creative. These are the descendants of those cave people who could not sleep after dark, despite the predators wandering in the dark - they were so interested in the world. “Owls” are nonconformists, which, on the one hand, makes them more creative and enthusiastic people, on the other, gives rise to many conflicts with others. By the way, this is not idle speculation: such data were obtained during a recent experiment by Spanish scientists who conducted tests on intelligence and speed of solving problems with “owls” and “larks”.

Larks - healthy youth. Whatever you say, at school and university the advantages of the “lark” chronotype are undeniable. Most schoolchildren and students attend educational establishments on the first shift, and they have to get up early. For early risers, this is the optimal schedule. They are cheerful, easily solve problems and write dictations, are more active in lessons, and therefore, in general, study better than their “night owl” peers. Since the chronotype of “early birds” is adapted to the demands of society, in their youth “early birds” are distinguished by good health and suffer less from lack of sleep and chronic fatigue.

Owls - the older they are, the more cheerful they are. But “owls,” according to science, become more active and cheerful with age. School and college years are torture for a real night owl. In the morning they are inhibited, lethargic and perceive everything that is happening as if in a fog, and in the evening, just at the peak of activity, parents drag little night owls to bed, arguing that they will have to get up early again tomorrow.

However, if an adult “night owl” manages to find a suitable work schedule, her affairs begin to go smoothly: she is active throughout the working day, and by the evening, when the “larks” are already off their feet, on the contrary, she blossoms. In addition, over the years, many “owls” have smoothed out their rhythms, approaching those of a “pigeon.”

"Larks" - heart disease with age. Most common chronic diseases"owls" and "larks" differ. The most common ailment of “early risers” is cardiovascular diseases that appear with age. Perhaps this is due to the fact that many early risers, with the advent of children and families, begin to suffer from severe lack of sleep, unable to compensate for a late bedtime by “getting enough sleep” in the morning.
"Owls" - ulcers and hormonal imbalances. Most common problems owls - gastritis and ulcers, as well as hormonal disorders. Stomach problems are explained by the fact that night owls often skip breakfast and have their first meal in the middle of the day. “Not coinciding” with the schedule of lunches and dinners, owls take long breaks in food and often have dinner after midnight, which is not very useful, even despite the evening activity of owls.

Hormonal imbalances are explained by the fact that the average daily release of hormones in the body of night owls, which ensure their activity at night, is one and a half times higher than that of larks. However, in general, night owls are healthier than early risers, especially among middle-aged and elderly people.
"Larks" are good mathematicians, engineers and military personnel. Representatives of this chronotype have better developed left hemisphere, responsible for logic and analytical thinking. Napoleon and Gaius Julius Caesar were larks

"Owls" - writers, artists, rich people. “Rich man” is, of course, not a profession, but among owls there are more wealthy people. Statistics confirm this. Often among them creative people- writers, poets, artists, musicians. For example, Mozart and Balzac worked at night.

According to biological rhythms, people are divided into “larks” and “night owls”.

“Larks” are those people who wake up and get up before dawn. Moreover, they get up easily and without any fatigue or lack of sleep. And they go to bed early too.
Owl people are nocturnal. In the morning they prefer to sleep longer. In the first half of the day, people are night owls, usually sleepy and sleepy. Closer to lunch they begin to become active. They go to bed late.
About 23 years ago, scientists conducted a study of human biorhythms. They conducted an experiment in which it turned out that if you shine a spot of bright light on the surface of the leg behind the knee, the rhythm of sleep and the human biological clock are disrupted.

Scientists still cannot explain why this happens. There is no consensus among researchers about why people are divided into “night owls” and “larks.”

Some scientists argue that the habit of waking up sooner or later is genetically embedded in a person and is regulated by genes. And the biological rhythm cannot be corrected. Others say that it will not be difficult for a person to turn from a “night owl” into a “lark.”

And the majority is inclined towards the second version.

Today, biological rhythms are studied by chronobiology. But the problem of time inside living organisms was dealt with by Eastern scientists back in ancient times. Human biological rhythms can interact with each other, as well as with the rhythms of the environment.

Some experts in this field argue that a person’s belonging to the group of “night owls” or “larks” is a habit that has been established since childhood.

If parents are used to going to bed early, then the child will also go to bed early. And he will most likely continue this habit in the future. Unless, of course, he gets carried away by watching TV at night or surfing the Internet around the clock.

IN modern world It is difficult to completely obey your biological rhythm. In most cases, the working day begins early in the morning, and night owls are not allowed to sleep until lunch. You have to adapt to the circumstances.

One way or another, a person is quite capable of independently adjusting his sleep rhythm. But you can’t change your mind in one day. This can have a very adverse effect on the body - you will get insomnia or headaches.

It takes at least two weeks for the body to get used to the new schedule. You need to gradually shift your rhythm by 15 minutes.

Go to bed earlier during this time. And you should also wake up earlier. First for 15 minutes, then for 20, and so on.

You need to take care of the melody for the alarm clock. A loud, unexpected sound has an irritating effect on the psyche, and you will feel sleep-deprived all day. It is better to wake up to light, quiet music.

Doctors and psychologists say that healthy regime sleep - 8 hours. This is how long it takes for a person to feel all cheerful day.

The ideal sleep schedule for a person is from 10 pm to 6 am. People who stick to this schedule are called “pigeons.” They easily fall asleep in the evening and also easily get up in the morning without experiencing discomfort. Such people are distinguished by excellent health.

Many scientists say that the main cause of sleep disorders is round-the-clock access to the Internet from computers and phones. Bright light screens “deceive” the brain, creating the effect of daylight in the dark. Those who like to sit at the computer at night experience severe fatigue by the morning.

By the way, even a little light from a digital watch can disrupt your sleep patterns. This light “turns off” the sleep pattern in the brain and causes a decrease in the concentration of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. Therefore, it is better to replace the electronic clock in the bedroom with a regular one, which will not be a source of light.

According to doctors, night owls are at greater risk of cancer than early risers.

The fact is that a sufficient amount of melatonin in the body is reliable prevention and a cure for dangerous diseases. And for the production of this hormone, one condition must be met - darkness. In daylight or artificial light, melatonin is not produced. That's why night rest enables the body to overcome anything pathological processes and violations that arose in it for any reason. Besides, correct mode night sleep prolongs youth.

It should be remembered that it is best to fall asleep in a quiet room, since noise in the room where a person sleeps can reduce the body’s immune properties.

This happens even if the person does not wake up from the noise. Noise is especially dangerous at the moment when you have just fallen asleep and in the last two hours of sleep, it can cause sleep disorder.

More wise men Ancient Greece We noticed that some people work more quickly in the morning, while others work more in the evening, so the former were nicknamed “larks”, the latter – “night owls”. Doctors and psychologists believe that a sixth (33%) of all people are “larks”, a third (17%) are “night owls”. The remaining (50%) do not comply circadian rhythm(). Their body works smoothly, without wave vibrations. Such people are called “jays”, “pigeons” or arrhythmics. Many people belong to intermediate chronotypes and are not bright representatives of “owls”, “larks” or “doves”.

Famous owls

Among the famous historical figures"owls" were the ancient Roman state and political figure, commander Gaius Julius Caesar, Swedish king Charles XII, English naturalist and traveler Charles Robert Darwin, great English writer of the 18th century Samuel Johnson.

Famous larks

The first All-Russian Emperor Peter I the Great and the great Russian commander, one of the founders of Russian military art, Alexander Suvorov, were early risers.

Professions of owls, larks and pigeons

It has been noticed that “owls” predominate among mental workers, while almost half of those engaged in manual labor are “pigeons”. It is important to take into account your chronobiological stereotype when choosing a job, especially when choosing professions that require night shifts or frequent business trips with changing time zones. Let's take a closer look at these aspects.

"Larks": biorhythms and physique

“Larks” are people whose circadian rhythm shifts forward, that is, they have advanced sleep phase syndrome. Their circadian rhythm fluctuation period is less than 24 hours. These are the “morning” type of people. They wake up independently and quite early, feel rested after sleep, alert and productive in the first half of the day, feel drowsy in the evening and, if possible, go to bed early. They quickly restore strength, but also get tired quickly. It is better for them to go to bed no later than 11 pm, otherwise they will feel tired the next day. Evening and night shifts are not for early risers. “Larks” adapt better than owls to time zone changes and rarely suffer from insomnia associated with this.

"Larks" react strongly and quickly to external influences, prone to hobbies. These people are great enthusiasts. In science, these are the creators of new ideas. They show new paths, leaving the development of details to the night owls, since by the time the work is completed, the early risers often lose interest in it or lack the energy. They react to all stimuli faster and more sharply than night owls. “Larks” are more often the owners of a picnic body type; in terms of their temperament, they are pronounced choleric or sanguine people.

Perhaps the fact that a person is born a “lark” is to blame heredity. American scientists conducted research in families in which the need to go to bed early and get up early exists for several generations. Members of these families were found to have a defect in a certain gene. This gene was implanted into experimental mice - and they turned into “larks”; it was implanted into fruit flies - and they became... “owls”. So perhaps the central component has been found biological clock mammals.

Biorhythms of "owls", temperament of owls

These are people who experience delayed sleep phases. They have a period of fluctuations in circadian rhythms of more than 24 hours, or the so-called delayed sleep phase syndrome. It has been established that people of the evening type adapt more easily to night shift work and three-shift work. Owls have better control over their sleep-wake rhythm than other people. Night owls fall asleep long after midnight, wake up late, and have difficulty getting up, since their deepest period of sleep is before the morning. Peak performance occurs in the second half of the day and lasts until late at night. Naturally, it is better for owls to go to bed later and wake up later.

"Owls" are characterized by a slow and weak reaction to stimuli. These are calm, reasonable people who are in no hurry to draw conclusions and try to substantiate them sufficiently; sometimes they are pedants, taxonomists, prone to logical thinking, mathematics, abstract generalizations, inert, expectant, and withdrawn. They are distinguished by good self-control, prudence, excessive severity and despotism. Passive and indecisive in new endeavors, they hesitate for a long time before getting involved in work, but once they start, they finish the job. More often these are people of asthenic body type, with a temperament type - phlegmatic or melancholic.

Biorhythms of "pigeons"

The combination of passive and active temperaments in a person creates uncertain biorhythm of performance. A more detailed analysis still reveals some tendency towards one or another pole of performance, depending on which temperament predominates. The period of best mental and physical activity for “pigeons” is observed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

How to travel for pigeons

When changing time zones, pigeons' biological clocks may malfunction. Thus, moving to the west can lengthen the biorhythms of “pigeons,” and flying to the east can shorten it. If the time difference is more than 4 hours, then the development of a new stereotype of sleep and wakefulness will occur in “pigeons” only after 7-14 days, and the level of steroid hormones will normalize after 2-3 months. Pigeons tolerate moving to the east more easily than to the west. This information will be useful to those people who love to travel long distances and, especially, who prefer to spend their short (7-10 days) vacation away from their homes.

"Larks" and "owls" get sick differently

« Larks» more prone to diabetes mellitus, obesity, circulatory diseases, migraines, asthma, more sensitive to weather changes.

« Owls"More often than early risers, they suffer from stomach ulcers, myocardial infarction, oncological diseases, at acute diseases The body temperature does not rise sharply and recovery is slow.

"Owls" have in general better health than the “larks” they have better memory and thinking. And (this, of course, does not relate to health, but it is very interesting!) “night owls” are often richer than “larks”.

"Owls" and "larks" are distributed differently around the globe -

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