Nightlifers

NIGHT OWLS / NIGHTLIFERS

The Oxford Dictionary defines a night owl is “A person who is habitually active or wakeful at night.”

Contrary to popular belief, most night owls do not choose the night—a genetic mutation chooses it for them. This mutation is linked to delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD) which causes a night owl’s circadian clock to run two to three hours behind an average person’s internal clock. Scientists are not sure what percentage of the population is made up of night owls, but some studies go as high as 20%.

Without a doubt, I am one of the 20% with DSPD. In the past, I never dedicated much thought to the term night owl. After all, I do take full advantage of all the wonderful qualities the night has to offer, and I do adore owls. Yet, the more time I spend writing the louder words scream in my ear, and pairing the words night and owl causes a ringing of redundancy I can’t seem to shake. Aren’t most owls nocturnal and aren’t most people aware of this fact? Like everyone else, I seem to have mindlessly embraced a term that is the literary equivalent of “waddling duck” or “lying politician.” Night owl is such a wasteful use of words—if you ask me.