Morning people think they’re better — night owls disagree

Some debates do not need panels, research papers, or moderators. They survive purely on vibes, judgment, and unsolicited advice. Morning larks versus night owls is one of them. It doesn’t matter where you are — at home, in a group chat, or at university, someone will eventually say, “I woke up really early today,” and someone else will take it personally.

For some, 11 PM is the latest they tuck themselves into bed, while for some, the night is just getting started. Two populations living the same 24 hours, but divided by when the day starts and ends. 

For most of us, including myself, this row starts at home. To me, the world feels calm and peaceful at night, and I get the most work done while the whole world sleeps, except for those of us who are alike.

Morning larks use adjectives like ‘productive’, ‘refreshing’, and ‘disciplined’ when they argue as to why they are superior to those who stay up late, almost as if they are the ‘alphas’ of society. According to them, waking up early is not just a habit, it’s a moral achievement. You do not just wake up early, you WIN the day. By the time the rest of the world is yawning, they have already drunk water, maybe lemon water, maybe done a light stretch, and possibly fixed their entire life.

This is where people like Nabil come in. 

The alarm does not wake Nabil; he’s already up before the alarm can get a chance to ring. He says he keeps the alarm as a decorative piece. His body just wakes him up. By 5 AM, he’s in his gym clothes, protein shake in hand, shoes aligned like they are waiting for inspection. He lives life like an army officer: routine, discipline, repetition. 

By 7 am, he’s already accomplished something, which he will mention casually, not to brag, just to inform you.

“The formula to a perfect life is waking up at 5 AM”, says Nabil as he chugs through his second protein shake of the day while ticking boxes from his to-do list.

At the other end of the spectrum is Wasy, who at 7 AM is still asleep, dreaming of last night’s PUBG match and bad decisions.

Wasy is a proud member of the “night owl society”, like myself. For him, 11 PM is the start of the night, when his brain finally starts to function, fuelled by caffeine and the ‘breakfast’ he had at 4 PM. 

He says, “My brain functions like a phone at 10 per cent battery in the morning.” 

Come midnight, he’s ready to complete the most difficult and scrupulous of tasks. 

In reality, both parties believe that the other is living a bad life.

Nabil believes Wasy is lazy. He is too polite to do it directly, but internally judges Wasy’s lifestyle. He generously ignores the fact that brains are not light switches when he says, "If you just slept earlier." He advises that no one asked for. Go to bed earlier. Get up earlier. Make your routine better. Have some water. Work out. Practice meditation. Reincarnate as a different individual.

Nabil seems suspicious to Wasy. Who likes to get up before the sun rises? Who is happy at that hour? There must be a problem. Wasy and other night owls accuse morning larks of being stiff, dull, and structure-obsessed. They want flow, not discipline. They desire liberty. When the world finally stops interrupting them, they want to work.

Then there’s a third group of people who are in the intersection of these two populations. Not by choice, by force. 

“I would never wake up at 6 if it were up to me. But I have to be in the office by 8”, said Shehzad. 

Shehzad is not a morning person because he likes it. His alarm is not a lifestyle choice. It’s a contract. He does not romanticise mornings or nights. He survives them. 

Both sides exaggerate. A lot.

In reality, there are days when early risers like Nabil like to just lie comfy in bed, wrapped in a warm blanket, when night owls like Wasy wake up and go for a run. 

The funniest part is how strongly people defend their preference, as if it’s not just a habit mixed with biology. 

One casual comment, “I hate mornings,” and suddenly Nabil is delivering a lecture on discipline. One joke about staying up late, and Wasy is defending creativity like it’s under attack. 

In the end, the world needs all three. It needs people who wake up before anyone to get the job done, people who stay up all night to complete the task, and those who wake up despite all the discomfort in the world. That’s the beauty of life.