The Advantages of a Morning Routine: A Student Perspective

Thedebate over the early bird versus the night owl has been a long-standing one. Asa university student, it would be safe to say that there is an increasingnumber of people who are night owls. As night owls, they do most of their workduring the night hours because that is when they feel most productive and alert.On the other hand, there are those fewer number of people who work best duringthe morning or during the day and as a result they tend to wake up early tostudy. The long-standing question is: which routine is better?

Eventhough there is no specific right or wrong answer to this question, there areseveral points to acknowledge when considering this question. The morningroutine (or being an early bird) does have its advantages in comparison to thenight routine (or being a night owl).

IncreasedProductivity

Themorning routine can help students accomplish more work, or a greater number oftasks during the day. This is because generally people tend to feel more alertand aware in the morning (assuming they get the right amount of sleep) and as aresult are able to concentrate on work related tasks well. This sense ofawareness can help students not only accomplish more during the day, but alsoallow them to give their full effort to ensure that the quality of work is alsogood.

Thenight routine as opposed to the morning routine can result in less productivitybecause people generally tend to feel more tired, fatigued, and exhausted asthe day goes on. As a result of both physical and mental exhaustion during theday, it becomes more difficult to focus on tasks in the evening and during thenight. This negatively affects both the quantity and quality of work or tasksthat students complete during these hours.

Sleep

Morningroutines obviously require students to wake up early, which also means to sleepearly. When this routine becomes habitual, people are able to easily get their6-8 hours of sleep daily. Sleep is an important factor in academic performanceand is necessary for good health.

Nightroutines indicate students spend most of the late evening or night working.This may make it more difficult for them to get the average 6-8 hours of sleep,resulting in a lack of sleep. Students can also adapt to their routine, and justwake up later on in the day. However, sleeping in can be problematic because itcan develop bad habits such as skipping classes if one has morning classes.Night owls may also feel the need for a coffee or energy drinks to make up forthe lack of energy, as a result of the lack of sleep which can also beproblematic in terms of health effects.

TimeManagement

Morningroutines allow for efficient time allocation, and time management. Students whoaccomplish their tasks in the morning or during the day know that they need toplan their time. This “planning” aspect helps them avoid the relatable tendencyto procrastinate. These individuals know they do not want to end up stayinglate or pulling an “all nighter” to complete an assignment, and as result willmanage their time to prevent themselves from falling into that situation. In asense, they know their time is limited during the day and that they need totake action.

Nightroutines may instill an illusion of time which translates into poor timemanagement. Students who work during the night may feel or perceive that theystill have time to complete an assignment or study for a quiz. Obviously thisis not true, as they do not have more time than the average morning person ifthey will only be working towards their goal during the night. This falseconcept of time can lead to procrastination, which eventually leads to anxietyupon the realization of completing tasks last minute. 

Perception

Themorning routine can help one feel refreshed, and healthy compared to those withnight routines. In addition, morning routines are generally associated withgood health and good habits whereas night routines are to the contrary. Ifmorning people do feel this way about themselves and their habits, it can makethem have a positive view and lead to satisfaction with their habits.Meanwhile, those with night routines may have a negative view of their healthdue to their habits, which can have an effect on their way of thinking.Overall, how one may feel aboutthemselves, their habits, and actions plays a role in their overall well-being.

So, The Verdict?

Althoughmany university students like ourselves prefer to work late into the wee hoursof the night, fueled by RedBull and coffee, it is healthy to have a goodbalance. Of course, the occasional one-nighter cannot be helped, but having aregular sleep schedule as well as waking up earlier can increase productivity,allow for better and more sound sleep, help to control your time, and give youthat refreshed feeling. Of course, changing something like routine is nevereasy, but taking small steps like progressively setting your alarm clockearlier can make a world of difference! So close the billions of tabs open onyour laptop, log out of Netflix, and catch some Z’s…We promise, you won’t behitting snooze in the morning!

Priya Lad BBA 2020