People Who Sleep Late Are Smarter And More Creative, Science Says

Anyone ever yell at you for doing something the wrong way? Maybe it wasn’t wrong at all; maybe they just wanted something done a certain way.

Geniuses have a few things in common. Going against the grain is one those things. A routine schedule and meeting expectations is commonly associated with success. A prescribed manner of behavior is another recipe for success. Taking drugs is something which is shunned by society, yet most noteworthy people are fueled by one stimulant or another.

What if I told you that blazing your own trail was the way to create a successful life? Consider these four primary habits of a genius.

They understand music

A musician can make interesting and unique connections about the world at large that non-musicians cannot conceive. Knowledge of music may also correlate with being better at math and having a higher IQ. Certainly, music provides an uncanny understanding of time; music must conform to the needs of the movement, but the time signatures must be adaptable for the musician.

They drink coffee

Being a coffee drinker has some impact on success. Coffee drinkers often partake in extra physical activity, leading to numerous health benefits. The extra energy comes from the fact that caffeine in coffee blocks the inhibitory transmitter adenosine. This helps the brain and body both function at a higher level. Reaction time, memory, and general cognitive abilities are thus improved by drinking coffee.

They can be sarcastic

It is not rude to be honest. By being sarcastic, a person taps more creativity and intelligence. This forces them to think harder, more abstractly and recognize more possibilities. Always remember, answers are meant to be questioned.

The above factors feed directly into the most important factor of all:

They stay up late and sleep late

Previously, I wrote an article about changing schedules for better productivity, which gave a lot of support for the nocturnal crew. While the traditional modus operandi is to go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep because adult society, at least in America, discourages naps. However, there is considerable evidence that the traditional model is outdated and in need of a refresher of its own.

It has long been thought that night owls are more creative than early birds, but evidence is starting to suggest that night owls are smarter. Perhaps morning people are more successful, but that may result from being more proactive and not necessarily being more intelligent.

Such was the theory of a Huffington Post article, which asserted that “extreme night owls” remain mentally attentive for a longer period of time than early birds. That is to say nighttime minds have a longer circadian clock.

This suggests that the future world may eventually shift toward more of a nocturnal system. It’s simply too efficient to work at a more creative and inspirational time of day. An Elite Daily article that followed from the Huffington Post piece suggested that people who create new evolutionary patterns are more progressive. These people are always thinking outside the box.

One thing common amid the daily grind is stress. There is good stress, which is motivating, such as meeting deadlines. And then there is bad stress, which causes heart disease and other problematic conditions. Seventy-five percent of doctor visits are said to be stress related and there are four noted methods of reducing stress: exercising, eating healthy, laughing and sleeping. Being that stress has a huge impact on productivity, it only makes sense to channel it to the best use.

A BBC report stated that late risers have less stress and are in better moods. This has to do with the fact that early risers use more cortisol, which results in more muscle aches, headaches and cold symptoms.

This is my day at work in a nutshell and explains why I loathe getting out of bed at 6:00 am. Could I do a better job later in the day?  Yes. Alas, my schedule is only so much in my own control.

Efficiency and productivity is not about when you do something, it’s about getting things done better and faster. It’s about what you do with what you have. For some people, that may mean working at noon, for others that may mean midnight. Overall, though a big trend seems to favor the shift to sleeping late. The bottom line is: sleeping late is better for you than what others may have you led you to believe.

Featured photo credit: Phil and Pam Gradwell / flcikr via flickr.com

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