How Night Owls Can Curb Compulsive Nighttime Spending: Understanding Chronotypes, Limbic Capitalism, and Happiness from Purchases

Thursday, September 19, 2024. For A&A Miami bound!

Do you often find yourself scrolling through online stores late at night, adding gadgets or clothing to your cart as a way to unwind?

You're not alone—and there's scientific research that can help you understand why night owls like yourself may be more inclined to compulsive nighttime spending.

In fact, recent studies on chronotypes (your internal body clock) suggest that night owls derive more happiness from material purchases compared to experiences.

But there's more to it.

Recognizing these tendencies can offer you an opportunity to fine-tune your spending habits, giving you greater control over impulsive decisions.

Let’s review new research on chronotypes and limbic capitalism to gain insight into unnecessary spending—and how being aware of your nighttime shopping habits could transform your relationship with money.

Understanding Chronotypes and Spending: Why Night Owls Are Different

The term chronotype refers to your biological inclination to be more active either in the morning (morning larks) or late at night (night owls).

This natural rhythm affects many aspects of our lives, from sleep patterns to our mood and productivity. It also impacts our shopping behaviors and the type of purchases that bring us happiness.

A study published in Psychology & Marketing found that night owls tend to find more joy in material purchases, like gadgets or clothes, while morning larks gain more happiness from experiential purchases, such as vacations or social events.

This is important for night owls to understand, especially when it comes to compulsive spending at night—a time when your impulse control might be lower and you’re more susceptible to emotional spending.

Nighttime Spending and the Influence of Limbic Capitalism

Limbic Capitalism is a concept that refers to how modern marketing and consumer culture target our brain’s reward center, encouraging us to engage in impulsive consumption. For night owls, this becomes even more relevant because of how nighttime shopping taps into our natural tendencies.

With online shopping just a click away, the hours spent winding down after a long day can become a prime time for impulse buying.

What makes this even trickier is the nature of limbic capitalism: late-night advertisements and targeted marketing play into our vulnerabilities, making us feel like we "need" that new gadget or those shoes, when in fact, it’s just our emotional brain responding to stress or boredom. As a night owl, recognizing these triggers is the first step toward regaining control over your spending habits.

How to Curb Compulsive Nighttime Spending: The Power of Awareness

Arming yourself with the knowledge of your chronotype can offer a new layer of situational awareness. By understanding that night owls tend to derive more happiness from material purchases, you can start to observe when you’re most likely to spend impulsively and question whether those late-night shopping decisions are truly aligned with your long-term happiness.

Some practical tips for night owls looking to curb unnecessary spending include:

• Pause before you Purchase: When browsing online late at night, ask yourself, "Do I really need this item?" or "Will this bring me lasting happiness?" Use the knowledge that night owls can sometimes feel disconnected from experiences to guide more mindful choices.

• Set a Nighttime Spending Curfew: Knowing that impulse control decreases as the night wears on, you can establish a rule that you don’t make any purchases after a certain time. This can help you resist the urge to buy when you're more vulnerable.

• Limit Your Exposure to Advertisements: Be aware of how limbic capitalism influences your shopping habits. Reduce your exposure to late-night ads by using ad blockers or unsubscribing from marketing emails that target your impulses.

The Subversive Power of Applying Research to Your Spending Habits

The act of understanding and applying this type of research to your personal life is incredibly subversive.

It’s a quiet rebellion against a culture that constantly pushes us toward consumerism and quick fixes.

By recognizing your chronotype and how it impacts your spending habits, you become empowered to make decisions that are intentional, rather than driven by marketing or emotional impulses.

When we read research like this, we gain more than just knowledge—we gain situational awareness. This self-awareness helps us step back from compulsive spending and align our financial habits with our true needs and values.

Limbic Capitalism and the Late-Night Spending Trap

Nighttime shopping has become a significant issue, particularly for night owls. As modern society continues to run on Limbic Capitalism, businesses and marketers target our brain’s reward system to encourage compulsive consumption. For night owls, this is especially dangerous during the late hours when decision-making abilities are diminished.

Late-night spending may give a short-term rush, but it often leads to regret.

Material goods may offer more immediate gratification for night owls, but the long-term satisfaction we seek is rarely found in impulse buys.

Recognizing the power of limbic capitalism and how it affects night owls during these hours is key to making more mindful, deliberate choices.

The Importance of Reading Research to Improve Situational Awareness

Reading research on specific issues like chronotypes and spending behavior isn’t just an intellectual exercise—it’s a form of self-care. When we understand how our internal rhythms and external pressures collide, we are better equipped to handle situations that can lead to compulsive behaviors.

For night owls, in particular, understanding the science behind chronotypes and how Limbic Capitalism plays a role in nighttime spending offers a new way to approach financial health. The more we dive into the research, the better we can align our habits with our well-being.

Final thoughts

In a world of constant consumerism, understanding your chronotype is a subversive, empowering act.

For night owls, recognizing the triggers of compulsive nighttime spending and how Limbic Capitalism plays a role can help you take control of your financial decisions. These insights can inform your personal spending habits, and help you cultivate a more mindful, balanced approach to buying.

Making choices more mindfully will bestow more happiness and fulfillment.

Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.

REFERENCES:

Banerjee, P., & Minchael, S. (2024). Of happy larks and unhappy owls: Why morning versus evening types feel different levels of happiness from experiential versus material purchases. Psychology & Marketing.

Whitman, M., Roenneberg, T., & Merrow, M. (2006). Social jetlag: Misalignment of biological and social time. Chronobiology International, 23(1-2), 497-509.