As PPCHS is back in the groove of in-person learning, we meet again with 6 A.M. wake up calls — blaring alarm clocks, having to leave the coziness of your bed, and facing the rush of getting to school on time. While the time is sooner than most prefer, the pleasing parts of it always tend to be overlooked: the calm silence, the warm air that hugs you, the picture-perfect sky with brushes of color, and the overall serenity of a new day ahead. For some, it may be easier to stay up later rather than wake up earlier, but at what cost? In today’s day and age, night owls actually have it worse, while the early birds rise and continue to shine. 

   When you wake up bright and early, the ultimate feeling of having more time in your day opens the door for more productivity. Sure, you may think you’re doing yourself a favor if you’re a night owl who sleeps in — but that “favor” is actually waking up to less hours for you to make useful. After all, you can only do so much until you eventually lose focus and go back to bed again. Sleeping in can be very well-deserved and refreshing, especially for high school students. But by making it a point to rise with the sun, you can achieve everything you need throughout the day, which delivers the same serotonin. 

   For senior and night owl Emily Idiarte, her mind works better at night. Constant distractions in her morning routine means the productive part of her day actually starts at around 1 to 2 P.M.          Junior Meggan Martin, however, is just one person who feels more motivated as a morning person. “Waking up early makes me feel 10 times more productive than if I were to wake up at 11:30,” she says. Her ability to easily focus in the mornings makes her a prime example of the saying, “the early bird gets the worm.”

   When it comes to school in particular, waking up earlier plays a significant role in making you feel much more energized and ready to learn. The natural early birds are lucky enough to appreciate their additional time that takes away any sense of rush, allowing for more to be done. Meggan, who wakes up at 5:30 A.M., sometimes even has the chance to work out before heading to school.

   For sophomore Valeria Mesa, waking up at 4:45 A.M. on weekdays was actually more helpful than she thought it would be. “I can take longer showers, eat a better breakfast… I have time to leave my room organized before I leave in the morning,” she explains. Chances are, the students who stay up and wake up later don’t have time to do any of these, let alone leave the house with a somewhat-full stomach. Even creating the time to do one of these things makes for a more active and efficient day.

   In the age group of highschool students, it’s common to sleep late most of the time, whether it be because your brain is more awake at night or because you have the freedom to do whatever you want at that time. It may seem unappealing to always wake up early, but it’s better to get a headstart on your day rather than lose time to other things. Once you wake up earlier and, in turn, fall asleep earlier, you’re already in the beneficial cycle of a morning person. You rise with the sun, go down with it, and you always shine with it.