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Carpe diem, carpe noctem: the best time to eat, sleep, work and work out depends on the birds—that is, whether you're a lark, an owl or something in between

Men's Fitness, Sept, 2003 by Bob Cooper

My best friend Dave often Net-surfs late into the night, then plays his guitar until 4 a.m., and once he's finally asleep, he's dead to the world. I, on the other hand, often awaken at 6 a.m. without the need of an alarm. In the lexicon of chronobiology, the science of body time, Dave is an owl and I'm a lark, and learning how to deal with the difference can turn you into a top performer.

"Everyone knows how to tell time, but few people know how to tell body time," says Michael Smolensky, Ph.D., a chronobiologist, University of Texas-Houston professor and co-author of The Body Clock Guide to Better Health. "Body time is your 24-hour natural cycle, which affects performance in every aspect of daily living, and it's different for everyone."

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Chronobiologists say that about 10% of us are true "larks," or morning people, and 20% are true "owls," or night people, while the rest of us tend to be borderline, either slightly larkish or owl-like (see chart, page 62). If you're on or near the owl side of things, you probably have trouble staying alert during that 8 a.m. meeting, while if you have lark leanings, you find it tough to be wide-eyed at a late-night party.

QUICK FIXES

You can't change feathers, but there are a few things you can do during your "off-peak" hours--morning for the owl, evening for the lark--to make up for being chronobiologically challenged. As Smolensky explains, "Doing anything early in the morning for an owl, or late at night for a lark, is like squeezing into 32-inch-waist pants when you're a 36-incher." While none of these solutions is perfect, each can provide a quick boost.

* Light it up. Spend time in sunlight or under bright, fluorescent lights.

* Exercise. The first 10 minutes are tough, but a cardio workout will rev you up. Allow plenty of time to warm up and stretch, because your body temperature and flexibility are diminished at nonpeak times.

* Do mini-workouts. Take frequent short breaks from sitting to walk around or stretch. The increased blood flow and nerve stimulation will awaken mind and body.

* Have some caffeine. Coffee does pick you up for an hour or two. But the bigger the boost in energy and alertness, the bigger the slump later on--and the greater the possibility of side effects like anxiety or acid stomach. (Tea is a better choice.)

* Consider taking sleep aids. For owls who want to nod off earlier, most over-the-counter sleeping pills are harmless, but relatively ineffective. Prescription drugs and melatonin (a hormone sold at health-food stores) are more potent, but have more potential side effects, including addiction.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES

Fast fixes are okay for the short term, but the best strategy is to pay attention to your lifestyle and schedule your activities, as much as possible, around your body clock. Here's how.

Train during your physical peak. For those who aren't true larks or true owls--meaning most of us--the best time to exercise is in the late afternoon or early evening, at least three hours before bedtime. "That's when heart and lung function, muscle strength, joint flexibility, coordination and reaction time are all at peak or near-peak levels," says Smolensky. "Exercising at that time also reduces sports-injury risk and helps you sleep well."

True larks and owls are better off exercising in the morning and evening, respectively, because that's when they are most energetic. By exercising when your body time is peaking, you'll perform better and enjoy it more. Exercising at the "wrong" time of day, according to one study, is the equivalent of working out after three hours of sleep--or several beers.

Time workouts for mental peak. Alertness peaks twice during the day for most people, at about 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The 3 p.m. peak is just after the 2 p.m. post-lunch "dip" (which occurs even if you skip lunch). That dip is the low point of the day, both mentally and physically, for both larks and owls--and the best time for a 15-minute "power nap."

Fortunately, mental performance doesn't fluctuate that wildly from one hour to the next as long as you get adequate sleep. Only during the first and last two hours of your waking day is alertness significantly impaired.

Eat breakfast. Doing anything in the morning, let alone fixing and eating a big, healthy breakfast, is difficult for owls. Still, it would be a wise move. Breakfast provides fuel for the day, while dinner (the owl's favorite meal) provides fuel that will only stay in the tank as you sleep. Don't believe it? Studies have found that subjects who eat just one 2,000-calorie meal a day lose weight when the meal is breakfast, but gain weight when the meal is dinner. Tip to the wise owl: Pack a breakfast at night to take to work.

Be sleep-consistent. The key to consistent sleep is sticking to approximately the same wakeup time every day, regardless of the time you hit the sack the night before. Sleeping in late on weekends makes it hard to fall asleep early Sunday night, and torturous to awaken early Monday morning. The result is a mucked-up body clock and a sleep debt that can last all week.

Carpe diem, carpe noctem: the best time to eat, sleep, work and work out depends on the birds—that is, whether you're a lark, an owl or something in between

Men's Fitness, Sept, 2003 by Bob Cooper

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