For years, I’ve been cursed by a longstanding habit I’ve continuously failed to break out of. It’s a habit that fills my body with self-pity when I have to roll out of my warm covers in the mornings, plagues my school days with heavy eyelids, and makes me wonder, “Why do I perpetually choose to do this?” I must confess: I am a chronic night owl.

With a slight degree of distress, I wonder if this is who I naturally am. Am I innately a night owl, or is this habit just a cumulation of poor decisions I made, choosing to stay up late one too many times? I wanted to find out, and what better way to see if my internal clock is permanently shifted later than others, than attempting to live the life of an early riser?

My experiment was simple. For one week, I would completely shift my sleep schedule ahead 2 hours, going to sleep at 10 p.m. and waking up at 6 in the morning. I would then record my daily energy levels and mood to see if changing my sleeping hours had any effect.

But of course, every well-designed experiment needs a control for comparison, so I logged down my energy and moods while adhering to my typical sleep schedule. On a day when I slept my normal 12:30-8 a.m. time, I woke up and hit my snooze alarm twice, not getting out of bed until 8:10. This is a typical occurrence, and after I scrambled to get ready for school, I stepped out the door at 8:20 with breakfast in hand and rushed to school. I barely made it. The rest of my day went as follows: In my classes, I desperately wanted to take naps; however, my energy levels slowly rose in the afternoon and evening.  

On the first day of my experiment, instead of completing my homework after unwinding from practice at 9 p.m., as I typically do, I decided that I would save it for when I woke up the next morning. Falling asleep earlier was the easy part, as I was exhausted after my long day. But when my alarm rang at 6 a.m. the next morning, I resentfully wondered why I decided to do this whole thing. However, with the looming thought of my incomplete homework and the embarrassment of possibly failing this experiment on its first day, I arose before the sun was fully up.

Unsurprisingly, I found it extremely pleasant to not have to rush to school and instead to take time for myself in the morning. I greatly enjoyed completing my homework with a fresh mind as compared to after a long day of school. But, to my dismay, during the school day, I was even more tired than before and almost dozed off during first period.

I hoped I would feel more rested on my second day. In a sense, my wish was granted, but this victory came at a cost. I reluctantly tucked myself into bed at 10:30 that night, not feeling ready to end the day just yet. After some difficulty, sleep eventually washed over me and I slept like a gentle baby. So much so that I snoozed all five alarms I set for myself that morning. Oops.

On the third day, I was determined to pick things back together, and Mother Nature was on my side. When I opened my eyes in the morning, I was delightfully welcomed by a shining rainbow outside of my bedroom window. Getting up from bed did not seem so difficult anymore, and I was even inspired to make myself a matcha latte. Maybe it was the good mood I was in, or possibly I was actually adjusting to my new schedule, but I was powering through my day with a pep in my step.

My success continued the next day, and I enjoyed breakfast at Golden Bagel with my lacrosse team. Though I didn’t feel completely alert, I was proud of my ability to consistently wake up early. 

Despite my triumphs, I quickly began to run out of steam. I missed my alarm on day five, which was stressfully unfortunate because I couldn’t complete the homework I planned to do that morning. As a result, I played a brutal game of catch-up for the rest of the week and was unable to pull myself out of bed at 6 a.m. anymore.

I was disappointed that I ended my experiment on a low note, but I think my results were a sign that this was not the schedule for me. Though this was only a week-long attempt, I felt exhausted at the end of it. There are many aspects of the early-bird life that I enjoyed, but realistically, I don’t think I will be ditching my night owl tendencies anytime soon.

Going to sleep later comes with its own joys: sometimes, right before bed is the only time I have to catch up with my friends after our long days. Other times, activities such as watching a movie or journaling are just more enjoyable at night. 

Maybe one day I can adjust to the lifestyle of an early bird. But for now, you’ll catch me wide-eyed at night and snoozing through the sunrise.