Most U.S. Adults are "Morning People"

Most U.S. Adults are "Morning People" WebMD
2007.10.16
"...a new Gallup poll.

In the poll, some 1,000 U.S. adults were asked when they're at their best on a typical day. Their answers:

• Morning (5 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.): 55%
• Afternoon (noon to 4:59 p.m.): 15%
• Evening ( 5 p.m. to 10:59 p.m.): 20%
• Late night (11 p.m. to 4:59 a.m.): 6%

They were also asked what hour of the day was their personal best. Their top three hours were 10 a.m., 9 a.m., and 8 a.m...Age may make the morning sweeter...In the poll, 43% of adults aged 18-34 favored mornings, compared with 58% of those aged 35-54 and 59% of those aged 55 and older..."Morning people" are particularly common among people with high salaries...For instance, 70% of people in households earning at least $75,000 per year prefer mornings, compared with 40% of those in households earning less than $30,000 annually..."

What does this have to do with longevity or health? I suspect quite a bit, but unfortunately the study didn't go into it. It seems to me that morning folks are generally healthier because they are more capable of keeping to a regular circadian rhythm. In my experience, as one of the night-folk, and knowing plenty of the same, our clock isn't 24hrs, but 25 or more - thus altering sleep patterns. Which has been shown to be bad for health and probably bad for longevity as seen in shift workers and those that deal with jet lag regularly.

The poll is interesting in itself though. If the poll is to be believed, with a supposed +/- 3pts, then there are way more morning persons than I had imagined, and way less night people. Is this true in other countries? If so what is the evolutionary reasons why this distribution exists?

NYTimes on Owl (night) - Lark (morning) marriages.

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