Science has already reported several negative effects of exchanging day for night, but it seems that not all of it is bad news. A new study by Imperial College London (ICL) on sleeping habits has revealed that night owls may have higher cognitive performance compared to morning owls. This means that these people perform better in mental skills such as memory, attention, problem-solving, logical reasoning, etc.
The study analyzed data from 26,000 people participating in the UK Biobank, a long-term project that is collecting health information from the UK population. The results were described in a paper published in the journal BMJ Public Health.
Night owls tend to have better cognitive performance – Image: Freepik
Swapping day for night doesn’t hurt your intelligence
Scientists analyzed the sleep habits—including duration and quality—of a large group of people who also defined themselves as night owls and morning owls. They also assessed how both types performed on cognitive tests that measure memory capacity, attention, problem-solving, logical reasoning, and processing speed. Night owls performed better in both groups, scoring 13.5% and 7.5% higher on the tests than morning owls. Early risers consistently scored lower on all tests. In fact, even individuals who considered themselves to be in between—neither night owls nor morning owls—scored 10.6% and 6.3% higher than morning owls. According to the researchers, this does not mean that morning owls perform worse, but that night owls tend to do better.
However, having better cognitive performance also depends on good quality sleep, regardless of the time of day – Image: Vitória Lopes Gomez (generated with AI)/Olhar Digital
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So, is it better to be a night person?
Despite the results, it is best to be cautious when it comes to swapping day for night. The practice has been associated with a higher risk of developing various health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and psychological and neurological disorders. In addition, it can increase the chance of an early death by 10%, when compared to morning people.
The study also found that this increase in abilities is influenced by the amount of sleep we get. Sleeping between seven and nine hours on average works best for our brains. However, going beyond this limit can impair cognitive function.
While understanding and working with your natural sleep tendencies is essential, it’s equally important to remember to get just enough sleep, not too long or too short. This is crucial to keeping your brain healthy and functioning at its best.
Raha West, study author, for New Atlas
In short, if you’re a night owl, don’t worry—your mental abilities probably won’t be harmed by your habits. They may even improve, as long as you’re getting enough sleep. But if falling asleep is a challenge, there are ways to help. A doctor can help you with this.
