Sleeping In Is Lazy? New Insights from Denmark
- femkevaniperen
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Sleeping in is often associated with laziness, while waking up early is linked to success and prestige. However, as we learn that people have different energy peaks, with some being more productive later in the day, this view is changing. A Danish perspective suggests that adjusting public life to accommodate different start times can be beneficial.
Every morning, people around the world get jolted awake by their alarm clocks. Getting up early is considered key to success and even has a bit of a status symbol vibe. The earlier we rise, the more awesome we seem. After all, the early bird catches the worm, as we've been saying all over the world for centuries.
But, it appears that people are growing weary of the traditional mindset. We're starting to realise that not everyone is naturally a morning person. Moreover, we're acknowledging that waking up early doesn't automatically result in success, improved health, or greater achievements in life. Society was once structured around the need to rise early, but this has already shifted with technological advancements.
Our Own Chronology
Scientists now associate the idea that waking up earlier than one's natural tendency may not benefit everyone's health with our unique chronotype, which is a genetically determined predisposition to sleep and wake at certain times. Around the world we are waking up to the fact that syncing with our natural rhythm can enhance productivity. Whether you prefer rising early or waking up later, it's about what suits you best.
Outdated Global View
If anyone knows that waking up late doesn't mean somone is lazy, less successful, or less of a person, it's Camilla Kring. As the founder of Denmark's B-Society and a leading expert in 'applied chronobiology,' Ms. Kring has been striving to shift the outdated global view that the 'early bird gets the worm.' She has been successfully supporting businesses and schools, elderly homes, and initiatives in this endeavor.
"Ten years ago, research in chronobiology was sparse," Kring tells Perspective Living. Today, we know that being out of sync with your biological clock has a negative impact on your health, education and career. Therefore society should support all our biological rhythms, and not just one. I want to increase the awareness about the discrimination of B-persons (late risers) in today’ societies."
Early Bird Gets The Worm: A New Reality
Be all that as it may, the world is set up for early risers, and there's little we can do to change that, right? What's more, there's nothing wrong with a bit of structure and self-discipline to begin our days early, and imagine the chaos if everyone began their day at school or work at different times!?
Reimagining our Economies
Well, argues the B-Society, our life structure doesn't need to be so rigid, and society doesn't have to prioritise early starts over other options. In fact, through her initiatives and projects, Kring has demonstrated that a world with flexible start times is not only possible and already emerging, but beneficial for everyone. When you think about, it can even help ease traffic congestion.
Since 2006, her initiative has been effectively helping businesses, companies, schools, elderly nursing homes, and workplaces around the world achieve this particular objective. The B-Society, which identifies early risers as A-persons and late risers as B-persons, advocates for a change in perspective. Kring argues that the traditional 9 to 5 schedule, suited to farming economies, is outdated and needs to be reimagined.
Through her research, Kring has found that diverse start times in public life result in healthier, happier workers and more productive students and schoolchildren. "Imagine having control over your own schedule and the community's social timetable," she remarkes. "How would you manage this? Personally, I would allow people as much freedom as possible to set their work hours. Additionally, I would get rid of many alarm clocks."
Sleeping in: We Struggle in Silence
Kring, who identifies as a B-person and a late riser, believes she has articulated the unspoken difficulties many B-persons face daily, emphasising the silent struggles they endure. According to Kring, those who choose to wake up later often feel unaccepted because they don't align with typical waking time stereotypes.
"I managed to express a feeling that many B-persons had suffered in silence," she explaines. "It was a feeling of not being accepted, and a sense of obligation to conform to the prevailing belief that not being out of bed by 6:30 A.M. and at work by 8 A.M. equated to laziness."
"B-persons are compelled to battle against their biological clocks," she goes on; "to adhere to social norms that dictate school must start at 8 A.M., and that one morning work hour is equivalent to two at night."
"When B-persons discovered the B-Society," she continues: "they felt acknowledged and validated. They felt understood and realised that there was nothing wrong with them."
"When late risers discovered the B-Society, they felt acknowledged and validated. They felt understood and realised that there was nothing wrong with them."
A and B people: Stereotypical Images
In her field, Kring frequently encounters the traditional portrayals of early and late risers. "I've interacted with numerous dedicated and perceptive journalists who note that editors often adhere to the clichéd image of A-listers as 'heroes'," she explains, and adds, "while portraying B-persons as lazy individuals who show up late to work and need to learn to wake up early."
"Each time, I've responded that dreams are achieved when we are awake," Kring continues. "I'm a B-person. I'm also a disciplined individual who accomplishes the goals I set for myself. I earned a Master of Science in Engineering at 24, a PhD at 27, and I've been running my company, Super Navigators, since 2005. I do most of my work in the afternoon and evening, and I would be miserable if I had to clock in at the same workplace at 8 A.M. every day!"
"Imagine controlling your schedule and the community's timetable. How would you manage this? Personally, I would allow people the freedom to set their work hours and eliminate many alarm clocks."
A Different Type of Society
"On January 15, 2007, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten featured a front-page article titled 'Showdown with the 8 to 5 Culture' discussing the B-Society and the struggle for B-lifestyles," Ms. Kring continues. "This article sparked a media frenzy, and throughout the year, I conducted at least three interviews each week about the B-Society with media outlets worldwide."
"Through the B-Society," she goes on to explain, "I identified a need that extended beyond Denmark, and the B-Society now has members in 50 countries." The initiative is backed by numerous employers, as well as Danish politicians and ministers. Its achievements are drawing interest from media outlets both in Denmark and internationally.
In agricultural communities, morning-oriented individuals and tasks were favoured due to daylight-dependent productivity. However, things have changed, so, why maintain early wake-up times when they may not be necessary? By waking up later, if it suits us better, we might enhance both productivity and health, argues Kring, explaining: "We have become knowledge farmers, still unconsciously valuing early risers and overlooking B-persons who don't fit the early schedule."
The tale of the early bird continues to endure, with society often regarding early risers as exemplary, linking waking up early with virtuous behaviour. Kring notes that this preference is reflected in moral sayings from France and Italy, providing global examples: "À qui se lève matin, Dieu aide et prête la main" (God helps those who rise early); "Chi dorme non piglia pesci" (He who sleeps, catches no fish); and "早起的鳥兒有蟲吃" (the early bird catches the worm)."
Sleeping in: The Future is Without an Alarm Clock
Experts indicate that over half of the world's population lives in urban areas, and Kring is confident that her model can be implemented in any city globally. She acknowledges that this transformation will require time, as it involves changing mindsets, structures, and institutions, along with the complex interaction of family, education, employment, and transportation policies.
However, Kring argues that the effort would be worthwhile, as such a shift would significantly improve many lives. "My rallying cry would be for peaceful mornings to enhance quality of life and boost productivity by aligning with our biological clock," she says. And concludes: "A biological rhythm is not a choice; it's inherent. And I will continue advocating for equality between early risers and night owls."
"My battle cry would be for peaceful mornings to boost quality of life and increase productivity by aligning with our biological clock. And I will continue advocating for equality between early risers and night owls."
About Camilla Kring
Camilla Kring established the B-Society on December 27, 2006. It now boasts members across 50 countries. Camilla Kring revolutionises corporate culture by enabling employees to manage their work and personal lives effectively. She achieves this through her consultancy, Super Navigators ApS, and the Life Navigation concept. Life Navigation includes practical and creative tools focused on time, goals, energy, and spaces, all designed to enhance productivity and quality of life.
Professor Russell Foster
In his book Life Time: Your Body Clock and Its Essential Roles in Good Health and Sleep, Professor Russell Foster discusses how modern society's 24/7 demands frequently compel us to live contrary to our natural, genetically determined 24-hour circadian rhythm. This misalignment is more than a minor inconvenience; it is a major contributor to serious health issues and his research lists infection, cancer, obesity and Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke, mental illness, including depression and paranoia as related to this.
Early Bird Gets The Worm
The proverb "The early bird gets the worm" encourages proactivity, diligence, and hard work, suggesting that starting tasks early increases the chances of success and seizing the best opportunities. Recognised globally and translated into many languages, it implies that early risers are more successful than those who wake up late. The expression originated from a 1605 book of proverbs by William Camden. Just as an early bird finds worms before others, early risers are more likely to find opportunities. However, its relevance in today's digital age is increasingly questioned.
