The Pros and Cons of Being a Night Owl

Welcome, fellow night owls! There’s no denying that those of us who usually go to bed around midnight (or even later!) understand the pros and cons of our nocturnal lifestyle. We’ve all felt the aftermath of staying up late, either at the expense of precious sleep or, as so often is the case, precious time. But have we stopped to think of all the positives to this peculiar life-choosing habit? In this blog post, we’ll be looking at all the different ups and downs of the nightly habit of hitting the hay around midnight.

The Pros:

– Quiet. After a long day at work, school, or home, many people find the calm and stillness of a quiet house helps to wind down. A midnight bedtime provides a blissfully quiet hour to reflect, meditate, or write without the day-time noise or family/roommates around.

– Quality Me Time. During the evening, we tend to prioritize winding down our day instead of tackling personal projects. So having some extra time later in the night can help us set aside the few precious hours of focus we need to finish those writing projects, plan out future ideas, or learn a new language.

– Flexibility. On the flip side of the night owl time limit is its sheer flexibility. Late night offers more freedom than other times of the day; meaning you can have a few more hours in your day to get work done, run errands, or get creative.

The Cons:

– Fatigue. One of the biggest negatives to a midnight bedtime is the almost unavoidable feeling of exhaustion during the next day. No matter how late you sleep, you can’t fight the energy you’ve lost the night before.

– Limited Scheduling Options. Scheduling events, appointments, or other commitments around an unpredictable nighttime sleep pattern can make daily activities difficult. Whether it’s fitting in gym time or visiting with friends, it can be hard to know what time works best with a flexible bedtime.

– Irritability. As the hours keep piling up, night owls can easily find themselves more easily frustrated than their well-rested peers. Over time, this irritability can put a strain on relationships.

As we can see, there are plenty of pros and cons to having a midnight bedtime. Ultimately, it’s up to us as individuals to find the best schedule that works for our own needs and daily routine. While not for everyone, night owls do get to enjoy some added flexibility, along with some unavoidable downfalls. Have any other night owl friends? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!