Slave To The Rhythm

I was born with the internal clock of a senior citizen. Yes, I AM in fact the youngest person at an early bird special and no, it’s not because I’m a good daughter, taking my aged folks out for a meal.

Dinner at eight? Don’t make me laugh, cry or eat that main meal twice. I can’t possibly hold out until our appointed supper hour so, inevitably, I have two.

You’d think I’d have gotten the hang of this by now. I’ve been a morning person, out of step with friends, family and the trendier sort of restaurants (who often don’t open before seven) all my life.

I could have a small salad at five and then a full meal at that unholy dining hour of eight or nine PM. Right?

Yes, yes, makes LOADS of sense. Except, I’m never hungry after that early amuse-bouche. Still, I gaze at the menu— the Eggplant & Dumplings in black bean basil sauce, the Chiles Rellenos De Queso, the Saag Paneer call out to me. I can resist anything ‘cept temptation, don'cha know.

This, THIS is why I struggle so mightily to lose weight. It’s all due to the entire world, or so it seems, being out of tune with MY circadian rhythms! OK, OK there are other issues but still, this is truly giant. Honest!

Naturally I Googled the morning versus night thing.

From WebMD:

A recent study in Belgium found that night owls are able to stay more focused as the day goes on, compared with early risers.
Morning people, however, also have advantages. "Larks generally sleep better, have more regular sleep patterns, and have more flexible personalities," Sharkey says. They also tend to be happier and feel healthier than night owls, according to a recent study from the University of Toronto.

Yea me on the happy/healthy bits! Re: the focus dealie—I’ve def found this to be true. My best work, whether that’s writing, painting, triking, math, research—whatever, is done in the morning. Woe betide me and my boss if she gives me a big, urgent project in the afternoon.

I found this interesting bit at the LiveScience site:

About half of the population falls in the middle — neither a morning nor an evening type, Brown said. These people can adjust more easily to changes in dozing schedules.
**********snip*************
The remaining half of individuals split evenly into morning or evening types, though this preference "ranges from mild to extreme," said Brown.

What I want to know is, if night people are just a quarter of the population, why, WHY is it that everyone’s evening meal time is so goddamned late?!

What? What’s that you said? Could you write it down for me? (deaf here, ya know)
It’s that I’m an extreme morning person and a seven or eight PM dinner hour isn’t late. In fact it’s the fine and dandy norm for the vast majority?

Oh.

Dunno how I ended up like this—my parents were total night owls.
Slave to the Rhythm—Grace Jones