--- title: Lateness and Punctuality: The 14 Worst Types of Late People description: A look at several genres of lateness -- and why none of them are acceptable canonical: https://time.com/3984571/worst-types-of-late-people/ author: Samantha Grossman article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-07T16:56:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:45.511Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The 14 Worst Types of Late People og:description: A look at several genres of lateness -- and why none of them are acceptable og:url: https://time.com/3984571/worst-types-of-late-people/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdb3a7ad5f5ac0416/69885e30f887dce3bae91bf3/alarm-clock.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4961 og:image:height: 2791 og:image:alt: alarm clock og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The 14 Worst Types of Late People twitter:description: A look at several genres of lateness -- and why none of them are acceptable twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdb3a7ad5f5ac0416/69885e30f887dce3bae91bf3/alarm-clock.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:25 video:published: 2015-05-15 section: health topics: sleep duration, sleep deprivation, cognitive performance, memory and attention, driving safety, heart disease risk, diabetes risk, weekend sleep, evening screen time, sleep habits genre: explainer, health feature tones: informative, skeptical, practical, conversational emotions: curiosity (medium), concern (low), reassurance (low) sentiment: neutral audience: general adult audience, health-conscious viewers, people who struggle to get enough sleep, parents and busy professionals people: Robert Davis organizations: Everwell content_suitability: health controversy [01:34-01:55] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # The 14 Worst Kinds of Late People > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=befc316c-421b-41ea-b4e8-8b767d51df20&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep? [Watch (HLS stream): Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/o0FTMkL0.m3u8) (2:25)  _Published 2015-05-15. Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep?_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary The video examines whether adults really need eight hours of sleep, presenting research on how sleep duration affects attention, memory, driving safety and long-term health. It notes that individuals vary in how much sleep they need and that people often overestimate their own alertness when sleep deprived. It concludes that consistently getting seven or eight hours a night is the best approach and offers tips such as turning off screens earlier in the evening. ## Key points - Routinely sleeping less than seven hours a night leads to reduced attention, concentration, and memory in most people, according to research. (00:52) - Individuals vary widely in how sleep loss affects them, so getting six hours can severely impact some people and barely affect others. (01:05) - Sleep-deprived people often overestimate their alertness on tasks like driving. (01:24) - Studies overall have linked less than six hours of sleep a night with increased risk of heart disease, strokes, diabetes, obesity, and premature death. (01:34) - Getting nine or more hours a night is also associated with these health risks, but it is unclear whether long sleep causes the problems or results from them. (01:45) - There is no evidence that sleeping in on weekends is harmful, and it may partly make up for lost sleep during the week. (01:55) - The best approach is to consistently get seven or eight hours of sleep a night. (02:01) - Turning off the TV and shutting down the computer earlier each evening could help people get more sleep. (02:09) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:19] Introducing the sleep question. The host opens by describing the effects of not getting eight hours of sleep, such as tiredness and poor decision-making. - [00:19 to 00:52] Sleep as an ideal few meet. The video compares sleep to weight and says that losing a little sleep is not a major concern, while losing a lot is a problem. - [00:52 to 01:24] Effects on attention and driving. Research links routine short sleep to reduced attention, memory and increased car accident risk, with individual variation and overestimated alertness. - [01:24 to 01:55] Health risks of too little and too much sleep. Less than six hours and nine or more hours are both associated with health risks, with unclear causation, and weekend sleep-ins are not shown to be harmful. - [01:55 to 02:25] Practical advice for more sleep. The video recommends consistently getting seven or eight hours and suggests reducing evening screen time to achieve it. ## Key quotes - [01:24] Robert Davis: "Studies amongst sleep deprived people show that they often overestimate their alertness on tasks like driving." - [01:55] Robert Davis: "There's no evidence that sleeping in on weekends is harmful, and it may help make up for lost sleep during the week, but not entirely." - [02:01] Robert Davis: "Your best bet is to consistently get seven or eight hours a night." - [02:09] Robert Davis: "Try turning off that TV and shutting down your computer a little earlier every evening." ## Questions this video answers - How much sleep do people need? [00:19] - Is getting less than eight hours of sleep a night really bad for you? [00:44] - How does routinely short sleep affect attention and memory? [00:52] - Are the health risks linked to sleeping too much or too little? [01:34] - Does sleeping in on weekends harm your health? [01:55] - How can you get more sleep each night? [02:09] ## Content suitability - health controversy [01:34-01:55]: Discusses associations between very short or very long sleep and serious conditions including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and premature death. by [Samantha Grossman](https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Aug 7, 2015 4:56 PM UTC  Getty Images by [Samantha Grossman](https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Aug 7, 2015 4:56 PM UTC “What late people don’t understand about on-time people,” comedian Mike Birbiglia says in a stand-up routine, “is that we hate them.” He goes on to make a clear distinction between two types of people: earlies and laties. And getting a reputation as a latie, he says, is not a good thing. Was it cool when New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently [arrived 80 minutes late](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/nyregion/de-blasio-after-a-diverted-flight-joins-climate-change-conference-at-the-vatican.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news) at the Vatican — the Vatican! — to deliver a speech about climate change? (Or all the other times he was seriously [behind schedule](http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/so-glad-you-could-make-it-mr-mayor/)?) Was it all fine and good that time Nicki Minaj [crept in late](http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20681953,00.html) to a live broadcast of _American Idol_? How about when your friend Scott (ugh, Scott) showed up a half hour late to your coffee date for the fifth time? The answer, of course, is no. No, lateness is not cool. Sure, it happens to all of us sometimes. Nobody is perfect. (Except, like, Channing Tatum, who is probably extremely punctual.) But routinely showing up late is a problem, and one that we should stop excusing. To paraphrase [Tolstoy](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15244466), all early people are alike, but every late person is late in his own way. With that in mind, let’s take a moment to discuss the 14 worst types of late people: 1. **The Infuriatingly Relaxed Colleague:** The person who rolls into the meeting 10 minutes late, holding a coffee that they _clearly_ could have forgone in order to be on time. 2. **The Manic Pixie Procrastinator:** The person who shows up, breathless, their whimsical flowy skirt fluttering in their wake, thinking their lateness is adorable and bohemian. 3. **The Pre-Liar:** The person who texts you “almost there!” when you are confident they have in fact just exited the shower. 4. **The Post-Liar:** The person who arrives late and says “Oh my God, I’m so sorry, the subway was delayed!” when you live in a town without a subway. 5. **The Interruptor:** The person who comes into the movie _right_ as it’s starting, distracting you from the important opening scenes and/or literally crawling over you. 6. **The Hangry-Maker:** The person who is so late that you say screw it and start eating brunch alone. 7. **The Genetic Latie:** The person who blames their _personality_ for why they’re always late. 8. **The Empty Chair:** The person who shows up late to an event where you’re graciously saving them a seat. Everybody gives _you_ the stink eye, but you’re not the monster here. 9. **The Oversharer:** The person who always blames their lateness on their significant other. This typically involves an overly detailed story you’re then forced to listen to. 10. **The Harried Commuter:** The person who blames public transit or traffic every time they’re late. (Sometimes, yes. But every time? No. Build in extra time.) 11. **The Overscheduler:** The person who is late because they were doing some other fun thing right before and you know because they Instagrammed it. BUSTED. 12. **The Eleventh-Hour Overcompensator:** The person who sends you a completely overdramatic paragraphs-long text explaining why they’re late. (For example: “OMG I’m gonna be late bcuz a UNICORN was crossing the street so OBVIOUSLY I had to follow it but then my foot hurt so I had to stop and see why my foot hurt and then RYAN GOSLING walked by but it was actually a homeless person LOL so yeah I’ll be there in 45 mins maybe!”) 13. **The Spatially Incompetent:** The person who is always late because they just can’t seem to figure out how long it takes to get from their apartment to Point B, even though they’ve lived there for three years. 14. **The Denier:** The person who walks in, hugs you hello and acts like their lateness just never happened. If you identify as any of those characters, I have a few hard truths for you: Being late is not cute. It’s not quirky. And it certainly doesn’t mean you just “[like to stop and smell the roses](http://elitedaily.com/life/culture/optimistic-people-have-one-thing-common-always-late/1097735/).” Let’s call it what it is: if you’re routinely late, you are rude and inconsiderate. And, for some reason, you place a higher premium on your time than anyone else’s. “The life of a late person is great,” wrote a _Washington Post_ columnist in a [piece](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2013/10/29/in-defense-of-the-habitually-late/) called “In defense of the habitually late.” Um, duh, of course being late is great — at the expense of people who are dumb enough to spend time with you. You get to take your sweet time while your punctual, respectful friend is the one wasting her time, waiting in line, holding the spot, or repeating to the increasingly annoyed restaurant host, “He’s on his way, I promise.” Infamous latie Marilyn Monroe once [said](http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marilynmon402488.html#iZ7QEmJcMiU0Q3e6.99), “I am invariably late for appointments – sometimes as much as two hours. I’ve tried to change my ways but the things that make me late are too strong, and too pleasing.” That might have worked for Marilyn Monroe (because, well, she was Marilyn Monroe), but it’s not working for the rest of you laties. Sure, the things that make you late are quite pleasing. To _you_. If you try this crazy thing called “thinking about other people,” you might find that being late isn’t actually all that pleasing. Look, lateness does happen to everybody once in a while. I was raised by two die-hard earlies who show up to the airport three hours in advance and always build in 20 minutes for traffic, even if it’s a five-minute drive — and even I accidentally arrive late once in a while. Things happen, and of course I won’t go down a rage spiral when an otherwise reliable friend is a little late for dinner. But we should all stop acting like lateness is an acceptable personality trait — and if we do show up late, we sure as hell better show up prepared with a genuine apology. ### 5 Horrible Habits You Need to Stop Right Now  Do Not Email First Thing in the Morning or Last Thing at Night “The former scrambles your priorities and all your plans for the day and the latter just gives you insomnia,” says Ferriss, who insists “email can wait until 10am” or after you check off at least one substantive to-do list item. Chris Pecoraro—Getty Images  Do Not Agree to Meetings or Calls With No Clear Agenda or End Time “If the desired outcome is defined clearly… and there’s an agenda listing topics–questions to cover–no meeting or call should last more than 30 minutes,” claims Ferriss, so “request them in advance so you can ‘best prepare and make good use of our time together.'” Sam Edwards—Getty Images/Caiaimage  Do Not Check Email Constantly Batch it and check it only periodically at set times (Ferriss goes for twice a day). Your inbox is analogous to a cocaine pellet dispenser, says Ferriss. Don’t be an addict. Tools like strategic use of the auto responder and Boomerang can help. Jetta Productions—Getty Images  Do Not Carry a Digital Leash 24/7 At least one day a week leave you smartphone somewhere where you can’t get easy access to it. If you’re gasping, you’re probably the type of person that most needs to do kick this particular habit. by nacoki ( MEDIA ARC )—Getty Images/Flickr RF  Do Not Let People Ramble Sounds harsh, but it’s necessary, Ferriss believes. “Small talk takes up big time,” he says, so when people start to tell you about their weekends, cut them off politely with something like “I’m in the middle of something, but what’s up?” But be aware, not everyone agrees with this one (and certainly not in every situation), and you may want to pay particularly close attention to norms around chit chat when traveling internationally. Reza Estakhrian—Getty Images ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] You're watching Everwell. Know more, live [00:04] better. If [00:12] I don't [00:19] get at least eight hours of sleep, I'm tired, I'm crabby, [00:23] I'm sluggish, I have trouble thinking clearly, making [00:25] decisions. I'd say people need around, you know, eight [00:28] hours of sleep and but when you're younger your just [00:33] able to still function with less If [00:37] you think about it, sleep is a lot like weight. There's an [00:40] ideal we're all suppose to meet but few of us do. So is [00:44] getting less than the recommended eight hours a night [00:46] really bad for us? Well a lot less is a problem. But if [00:50] you're getting a little less, there's probably no need to [00:52] lose sleep over it. Routinely sleeping less [00:56] than seven hours a night leads to reduced attention, [00:59] concentration, and memory in most people according [01:02] to research. One result is an increased risk of car [01:05] accidents, but individuals vary widely in how they're [01:08] effected and how much [ MUSIC ] Getting six hours of [01:11] sleep, for example, can have a severe impact on some [01:14] people and barely make a difference in others. [01:18] Though you may think you fall in the second category, [01:20] it can be hard to judge accurately for yourself. Studies [01:24] amongst sleep deprived people show that they often [01:27] overestimate their alertness on tasks like driving. [01:30] [ NOISE ] As for the effects on our health Studies [01:34] overall have linked less than six hours a night with an [01:37] increased risk of heart disease, strokes, diabetes, [01:41] obesity, and premature death. Interestingly, getting [01:45] lots of z's, meaning nine or more hours a night, is also [01:49] associated with these risks. But it's unclear whether [01:52] sleeping that much is the cause of health problems, or [01:55] just the result. There's no evidence that sleeping in on [01:58] weekends is harmful, and it may help make up for lost [02:01] sleep during the week, but not entirely. Your best [02:05] bet is to consistently get seven or eight hours a night. If [02:09] your reaction to that is, dream on Try turning off that [02:12] TV and shutting down your computer a little earlier [02:15] every evening. It could help make that dream of [02:18] getting more sleep a reality. 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