What are circadian phase preferences?

Circadian phase preferences are like your body’s favorite time to be active or sleepy, some people are night owls, others are early birds.

Imagine you have a robot friend who helps you with tasks during the day. Some robots start working right when the sun comes up, while others wait until it's almost dark outside. Your body is like one of these robots, it has its own favorite time to be awake and ready for action.

If you're an early bird, your body likes to wake up when the sun rises. You feel refreshed in the morning and might get tired around bedtime.

If you're a night owl, your body prefers to stay up late and sleep in, you’re like a robot that starts working when it’s dark outside!

These preferences are part of your internal clock, it's like a tiny timer inside you that helps decide when you should be active or resting. Some people’s clocks run faster, making them early birds; others’ clocks run slower, making them night owls.

Just like some kids love playing outside and others prefer reading in bed, your body has its own way of telling time!

Cities like Seattle can influence how people experience their circadian phase preferences, especially if they live near big windows or spend a lot of time outside. In a city with lots of light during the day and fewer lights at night, your body might adjust to match the environment, early birds could feel even more awake in the morning, while night owls might find it harder to stay up late because there’s less artificial light to keep them active.

But sometimes, people in cities like Seattle still stick to their own internal clock, even if the city is busy around them. For example, someone who’s a night owl might work late at a café or study in a library, while an early bird could be out running in the park before most people are even up. The big lights and sounds of the city don’t always change your body's favorite time, sometimes they just make it easier to follow it!