“ARTURO, GET UP! You’re going to be late for school!” Every weekday morning it is
the same story at the Rodriguez household. Arturo, who is 15, has to be dragged out of
bed, while his sister Maria, who is 8, usually wakes up easily. Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez are
always up at 5:00, even on the weekends and even Maria doesn’t ever sleep in past 8:00.
But not Arturo. On the weekends he will sometimes sleep until 11:00 or 11:30 and often
doesn’t want to go to sleep until well after midnight. It seems that Arturo is a night owl, and
his parents are definitely early birds, while Maria is somewhere in between. Why do the
people in this family have such different rhythms? And what about you? Are you an early
bird or a night owl? Take this survey to see where you belong.
1. What time would you get up everyday if it were entirely up to you?
- 5:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m.
- 7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.
- 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
2. What time would you go to bed each night if it were entirely up to you?
- 8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
- 10:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
- 12:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m.
3. How do you usually feel after being awake for half an hour on a school morning?
- Refreshed
- Depends
- Tired
4. You have to go to bed at 11:00 p.m., how do you feel?
- Tired and ready to crash.
- Depends
- Not tired and usually unable to get to sleep.
5. What time of day do you usually feel your best?
- Early part of the day (morning).
- Middle of the day (afternoon).
- Later in the day (evening).
Of course this is just a rough guide, but your answers can be interpreted in this way: If
most of your responses are “A’s,” then you tend to be a Morning Lark. If most of your
answers are “B’s,” then you are probably not a lark or an owl. If most of your answers are
“C’s,” then it’s likely you’re a Night Owl.
