This morning I woke up early, annoyingly at 5am. I hadn’t fallen asleep until midnight so I wasn’t hugely happy to be awake and bright so early. At 5.20am I decided to give up on sleep, my brain was too busy. So, for the two hours since, I have been sitting on my own working solidly on my MA thesis. It is now 7.43am as I write this.  I have probably done my most productive work of the day. That’s not to say, I won’t do any more work. I will. I have lots of ‘paid’ work to do too today. But I won’t have that level of awakeness, concentration and neuron firing again today and that length of time without distraction and disturbance (even Facebook and Twitter are quiet).

Why am I a morning person and not a night person? This is my weird thought. Why can’t I write creative and interesting stuff at 10pm? Why is 6am better for me? And is my productivity really better at 6am?

In my mind, it feels rather dull to be a morning person. Night people have more fun: they go clubbing until 3am. They do things they regret. They drink shots. They are witty and shiny at midnight. I am not. I’m grumpy and drowsy at midnight, usually wrapped in a blanket, sipping milk and eating Terry’s Chocolate Orange.

Even if I am less exciting than those night owls, perhaps I am better off. As Benjamin Franklin famously declared: “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Is this really true?

Benjamin working at 6am with his cat for company.

I’m generally pretty healthy so perhaps that part is true. I’m still waiting on the wealth and wisdom, as I sit here at 7.53am writing this. I’ll let you know when I get my final mark for my MA if the wisdom part is forthcoming. As for wealth? I don’t think that will come in a hurry and it certainly won’t come just because I like mornings and it isn’t likely to come this morning.

According to the Internet, serious scientists have actually studied ‘larks’ vs ‘owls’ to see who ends up heather, wealthier, and wiser. The conclusion seems to be either owls have bigger cars and more posh clothes (boo!) or it makes no difference.

However, my conclusion is that it actually isn’t worth spending time thinking about or worrying about it. After all, worrying isn’t productive and that isn’t going to bring wisdom or wealth. I should just go with the flow. If I am more creative at 7am, then it be so. If I do ever feel like having a flourish at 10pm, then why not? The important thing is that things get done, it doesn’t really matter when they get done. And if wealth and happiness come my way, yay, even better. And anyway, I like to do outrageous things and drink shots at midnight when the mood takes me. I will still be up at 6am the next day though.