Is it true that the early bird catches the worm?

When it comes to sleep, there are several common myths that may not be as true as they seem. For instance, the age old adage, ‘the early bird catches the worm,’ doesn’t actually apply to many people. Some of us are more likely to be at our best around noon, while others are more productive as night owls. The Guardian recently published a great post debunking six common sleep myths. Here are a couple of our favorites:

· “Teenagers are lazy.”

It’s easy to say that teenagers are angst-filled, rebellious and lazy when, as a parent, you are constantly having to drag them out of bed in the morning. However, it’s important to take into consideration that during these critical adolescent years, your teenager’s brain and hormones are changing and growing. Teenagers actually need more sleep, and not getting enough of it can negatively affect their performance at school.

· “I only need four hours of sleep at night.”

Boasting about how little sleep they need seems to be a growing trend among young professionals and college students. But having little to no sleep is extremely detrimental and counterproductive. During daylight hours, our bodies produce a chemical called adenosine which accumulates until we go to bed. While sleeping, our bodies break it down so that we feel refreshed and energized in the morning. If we don’t have enough sleep, levels of adenosine will continue to linger, making us groggy and unproductive the following day.

How many sleep myths have you been following? Read more about common sleep myths in this post from The Guardian.