As a night owl myself, I am delighted or even enlightened! 😊 Have we night owls not been haunted for many years by the frequent admonition of violating the circadian cycle?
It seems to confirm that sleep duration and quality is more important than bedtime!
"... But there's finally some good news for those who can't, or don't want to, go to bed at a 'reasonable hour,' with Imperial College London (ICL) scientists finding that night owls have significantly greater brain function than their early-rising counterparts. ...
After adjusting for health and lifestyle factors, such as chronic disease, smoking and alcohol intake, the researchers found that night owls scored around 13.5% higher than morning people in one group, and 7.5% higher in another group. What's more, morning people had consistently lower test scores across the board, with even the 'intermediate' types – those who considered themselves more somewhere in the middle – doing 10.6% and 6.3% better than early risers. ..."
From the abstract:
"Objective
To explore the nuanced relationship between sleep patterns, chronotype, quality and the influence of health and lifestyle factors on cognitive performance.
Design, setting, participants
This cross-sectional analysis used ordinary least squares regression within the UK Biobank database, assessing 26 820 participants aged 53–86 years, categorised into two cohorts: Cohort 1 (10 067 participants, 56% female; completed all four cognitive tests of Fluid Intelligence/reasoning, Pairs Matching, Reaction Time and Prospective Memory) and Cohort 2 (16 753 participants, 56% female; completed only two cognitive assessments of Pairs Matching and Reaction Time).
Exposures
Participant’s self-reported sleep duration, chronotype and quality. Cognitive function was assessed through standardised computerised tests. The analysis was adjusted for demographic and comorbidity covariates.
Main outcomes and measures
Cognitive performance scores were evaluated against sleep parameters and health and lifestyle factors including sex, age, vascular and cardiac conditions, diabetes, alcohol intake, smoking habits and body mass index.
Results
The regression highlighted a positive association between normal sleep duration (7–9 hours) and cognitive scores in Cohort 1 (β=0.0567, 95% CI 0.0284 to 0.0851), while extended sleep duration negatively impacted scores across both cohorts (Cohort 1: β=−0.188, 95% CI −0.2938 to −0.0822; Cohort 2: β=−0.2619, 95% CI −0.3755 to −0.1482). Chronotype distinctions, particularly intermediate and evening types, were linked to superior cognitive function. Gender, age, angina, high blood pressure, diabetes, alcohol intake and smoking emerged as significant cognitive influencers.
Conclusions and relevance
The study delineates a multifaceted and nuanced relationship between sleep variables, health and lifestyle factors in determining cognitive outcomes. These findings highlight the vital role of sleep quality on cognitive health."
Being a ‘night owl’ is associated with mental sharpness, study shows People’s preference for morning or evening activity is linked to their brain function, with ‘night owls’ generally performing better in tests.
Sleep duration, chronotype, health and lifestyle factors affect cognition: a UK Biobank cross-sectional study (open access)
What an intelligent bird!
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