Night owls outperformed morning larks in one group by 13.5 percent, and in another group by 7.5 per cent. Findings published this week in BMJ Public Health reveal that intermediates scored 10.6 per cent and 6.3 per cent higher than morning larks in respective samples. Additionally, younger individuals and those without chronic health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease tended to perform better on the cognitive tests.

According to a recently conducted study conducted at Imperial College London, as cited in the New York Post, those who go to bed late are smarter than ' morning larks’ when it comes to solving puzzles. The investigators conducted data analysis of the 26,242 participants in the UK biobank to explore how sleep duration, pattern, and quality affected mental processes and cognitive functions.

Night Owls Outperform
Image Source: Institute of Health Promotion and Education

Research Findings: Night Owls vs. Morning Larks

At the end of a sequence of tests, subjects stated whether they were more energetic and efficient in the morning or in the evening. From the research, it was evident that the test performance of an individual is highly influenced by their chronotype meaning a person’s preference for morning or evening activities. These chronotypes were classified into two categories, viz. Morning type or Morning larks and night type, often referred to as the night hawkers.

Since the results of cognitive tests demonstrated that nighttime performers achieved a higher score when compared to morning-time performers who were morning-time performers, they were considered to be much slower. The last set of results pertained to participants with a moderate preference for either time of day, who were also categorized as ‘intermediate’; these participants also displayed enhanced scores.

Dr Raha West, a researcher in the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, stated, "Our study found that adults who are naturally more active in the evening, referred to as having 'eveningness,' generally performed better on cognitive tests than morning people.' These chronotypes may influence cognitive function rather than being merely personal preferences," Dr. West added. She emphasized that this doesn't imply all morning people have poor cognitive performance. "The findings reflect an overall trend where the majority might lean towards better cognition in the evening types," she said.

The experts believe that to have well-functioning brains, any person should have seven to nine hours of sleep, regardless of whether they are a night owl or a morning lark. This new research, which showed that seven to nine hours helped to improve memory, reasoning, and processing of information, falls within this hour range. However, other research has indicated that sleeping for less than seven hours or more than nine hours is negative for the brain.

Implications for Cognitive Functioning

Dr. Raha West added, "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 for keeping your brain healthy and functioning at its best."

It was concluded that the quantity of sleep was a significant determinant of cognitive functioning, although participants experiencing insomnia symptoms did not tend to perform inferiorly to others. Some researchers think it is important to focus on the most severe and persistent symptoms.

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