Extreme early birds … You’ve heard of those people who go to bed early and wake up naturally at 5 a.m. ready to tackle the day. These extreme early birds are rare, right? Maybe not. A new study from the University of California San Francisco found that at least one in 300 adults is an extreme early bird, or as they call it “advanced sleepers.” People who fit in this category typically fall asleep before 8:30 p.m. and wake up on their own before 5:30 a.m. According to researchers, advanced sleepers tend to display this pattern before they’re 30 years old. The only problem? People with this clock pretty much have no night life.
“While most people struggle with getting out of bed at 4 or 5 a.m., people with advanced sleep phase wake up naturally at this time, rested and ready to take on the day,” said study author Dr. Louis Ptacek, professor of neurology at the UCSF School of Medicine. “These extreme early birds tend to function well in the daytime but may have trouble staying awake for social commitments in the evening.”