Early Bird or Night Owl?
In today’s competitive market many people can’t manage their workloads in a typical eight-hour workday. So,
wanting to succeed in their careers, many need to squeeze in extra work time, either late at night or early in the
morning. So, which is better?
Research shows that people who wake up early (early birds) often tend to be more productive than those who
stay up late (night owls). A 2008 report from the University of Texas, found that students who wake up early
get significantly higher marks than students who go to bed late. In addition, many CEOs of successful
companies are early risers. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey are two notable
examples.
In view of the apparent benefits of being an early riser, it’s not surprising that many night owls are keen to
change their sleeping habits. Yet, they often find that this is much more difficult than they had anticipated. This
is because there is a strong genetic component to our internal biological clock.
While trying to transform yourself into a morning person may be easier said than done, there are a number of
techniques that can assist you in doing so. Since exposure to light has a profound influence on our biological
clock, it’s important to let light into your room in the morning. Similarly, it’s important to keep the bedroom as
dark as possible and to refrain from using electronic devices like mobile phones, tablets and televisions for at
least an hour before going to bed. In addition, it’s important to refrain from drinking coffee after 14.00 and to
stop exercising at least four hours before bedtime.
Despite what the research says about early birds, many experts caution people against making this shift. They
emphasize that getting eight hours sleep is far more important than getting up early. Often, night owls who try
to change their sleep patterns end up missing valuable hours of sleep as a result of their new routine. As a
result, they may feel tired during the day. So, it seems, if you wish to be productive and successful in your
career, getting up earlier isn’t always the answer.
1. Decide if the following sentences are true (T) or false (F). Find evidence in the text to justify your
answers.
1. Hereditary factors influence our sleeping patterns. T / F
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2. Physical activity before bedtime helps people fall asleep. T / F
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2. Answer the questions.
A) What can a person do to make falling asleep easier?
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B) Why is Tim Cook mentioned in the text?
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3. Find words or expressions in the test that mean the same as:
a. Prominent (paragraph II) ……………………….
b. Evident (paragraph III) ……………………….
c. Difficult (paragraph IV) ……………………….
d. Avoid doing (paragraph IV) ……………………….
e. Warn (paragraph V) ……………………….
4. Grammatical transformation:
a. Change this sentence into a 2nd conditional:
“If you wish to be productive and successful in your career, getting up earlier isn´t always the
answer”
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b. Change this sentence into reported speech:
Researchers said: “People who wake up early often tend to be more productive”.
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c. Combine these sentences using a relative pronoun.
Samantha is coming to the party. Samantha´s mother is mayoress of this town.
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5. Write an essay (100-120 words) describing your sleep habits and what you think you could or
should do to be more productive.
