Seize the day!

“Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast.” ~Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde wouldn’t agree, but studies show that early risers have several advantages. For starters, they typically go to bed earlier — in step with healthy circadian rhythms — and are more likely to get eight or nine hours of sleep.

Researchers at Northwestern University found that early risers are slimmer, probably due to the fact that body weight is influenced by exposure to natural light. According to this study, people who had most of their daily exposure to bright light in the morning had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) than those who had most of their light exposure later in the day.

Behavioral scientists also claim that humans are more productive in the early hours of the morning. Speaking for myself, I find that my brain works best before noon, so I always get up early, brew my coffee, and spend a couple hours of reading and writing before I do anything else. I get a lift from watching the sun rise, too.

Ben Franklin, the original early riser, believed that going to bed early and waking up early makes us “healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Unfortunately, that makes us party poopers too, according to Oscar Wilde. How about you? Are you a morning person or a night owl? ~CL

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