Night Owl Confessions

Are you more of a night or morning person?

If there is one thing I know with absolute certainty, it is this: I was not built for mornings. God may give mercies that are new every morning, but mine usually need a good thirty minutes to load. Meanwhile, nighttime turns me into an entirely different person. I can stay awake like it is my spiritual gift. My energy rises. My ideas come alive. My brain starts composing entire chapters. But when the sun rises, I feel like I am dragging my soul through a field of wet cement. Some people leap out of bed joyfully. I need a countdown, a prayer, and a gentle negotiation with my alarm.

The Glory of the Night Owl

There is something about the night that makes me feel more like myself. My mind settles in a way mornings have never managed. Psalm 139 says, “Even the night shall be light around me.” I feel that. The night has always been my creative habitat. Maybe it is the stillness. Maybe it is the openness of unclaimed hours. Maybe it is just how I am wired. Either way, God and I have had some of our best conversations when the rest of the world is asleep.

Maya Angelou once said she kept writing late into the night because it made the world feel more honest. I can relate. Nighttime feels like the real world comes out, and the noise falls away. My mind becomes clearer. Ideas land more easily. And I do not feel rushed. I simply breathe and create. That is probably why my journals have more nighttime entries than morning ones.

Isaiah 40 reminds us that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. For me, that strength shows up after 8 p.m. My creativity renews. My spirit renews. My sense of humor renews. Everything clicks into place. Nighttime is when I actually feel awake.

Mornings and I Are Currently Not on Speaking Terms

Now let us talk about mornings. Mornings and I have been in a decades-long feud. There is nothing natural about me opening my eyes at dawn and pretending to be a functional adult. Lamentations reassures us that “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning.” I appreciate the compassion. I really do. But I would still like them to arrive around 10 a.m.

Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once wrote, “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” He must have been speaking to the morning people, because my morning reality feels like a puzzle I did not sign up to solve. Every sunrise feels like it is asking for more than I have to give at that hour. Even with coffee in hand, I still need a few attempts at re-entry into consciousness.

And yet there is something grounding about the slow climb into the day. Luke 1:78 says God gives us the morning light because of His tender mercy. I hold on to that when I am struggling with the snooze button. Even if mornings are a fight, they still carry grace. They remind me that showing up, even tired, still counts.

Steve Martin once joked that he is not a morning person unless mornings start at noon. I felt seen. I felt understood. It is comforting to know that some of the world’s great creatives also struggled with sunrise expectations.

Soul Insights

1. Night energy is not a flaw but alignment.

We thrive at night because creativity activates when the world feels calmer. Instead of forcing a morning identity that does not fit, honor the rhythm that helps you think clearly and feel spiritually connected. God works with your wiring, not against it.

2. Morning struggle is not laziness.

It is physiology and personality mixed together. Some bodies rise slowly. Some minds wake up later. We are not failing the morning but are simply designed to savor rest and rejuvenation. Grace still meets us where we are.

3. Productivity does not belong to one part of the day.

I get more done at 10 p.m. than many people accomplish before sunrise. It is not about the hour but about the presence I bring to it. Working within our natural rhythm, we’re more focused, intentional, and spiritually open.

4. Nighttime gives us permission to breathe and reflect.

Your best thinking happens when the world gets quieter. God often speaks to us in those hours because we’re are finally able to hear Him clearly. The night cultivates focus and honesty in us.

5. Honor both parts of the day, even if one feels harder.

Mornings stretches us, but they also remind us of resilience. Nights ground us, but they also remind us of purpose. Both carry spiritual meaning. Both shape who we are becoming.

Final Thoughts

I may never be the person who jumps out of bed singing hymns at sunrise but I have learned to embrace the version of myself that does her best work under moonlight.

God meets me there.

Creativity meets me there.

Peace meets me there.

When morning finally catches up, I trust His mercy to carry me through until night comes around again.

Your Turn

⭐️ Are you more yourself at sunrise or sunset?

⭐️ What time of day brings out your creativity?

⭐️ How can you honor your natural rhythm instead of fighting it?

By the way…

While you’re here, feel free to spend a moment with my book, 17 Syllables of Me, and explore my website, SoulPath Insights—both pieces of my heart.

Thank you for taking the time to read! 🤗

Soul Path Insights