Understanding the Circadian Rhythm and Its Impact on Your Life

6. Your Rhythm Might be Different than Others

While all humans have a circadian rhythm of 24 hours, your alignment is probably different than your friends'. People who feel energized later in the day are sometimes called night owls. Their built-in circadian rhythm is different from that of "morning people." The technical term for whether someone is a morning or night person is their chronotype, and it seems to be genetic. If you are a night owl, then likely people in your immediate family are, too. Your chronotype might alter with your age, but it is rare for someone to completely change from a morning person to a night owl, or vice versa.