Night owls outperform early birds in intelligence, says major new study
Photo source: 123rf.com
It turns out that those who prefer to go to bed late have a clear advantage over early birds.
The long-standing belief that people who prefer to go to bed late ("owls") are less efficient and mentally developed than their "lark" colleagues may be wrong. A large-scale study involving over 26,000 subjects has shown the exact opposite results: "owls" demonstrate higher cognitive functions compared to early birds.
Experts from Imperial College London analyzed data from a large British project, the UK Biobank, in which participants took tests for intelligence, memory, reaction speed, and other indicators of mental abilities. In addition, the researchers studied the influence of such factors as the duration and quality of sleep, as well as the individual biological rhythms of the subjects, on brain function.
As a result of analyzing the data, the specialists found that people who consider themselves "owls" (falling asleep at late hours), as well as those with an "intermediate" chronotype, demonstrated higher scores in cognitive tests. At the same time, “larks” who prefer to go to bed early and get up early showed the lowest results.
Deep sleep. Photo source: Freepik.com
Thus, the established belief that going to bed late has a negative impact on mental performance may be questioned. On the contrary, this study shows that "night owls" have more developed intellectual abilities, including analytical thinking, memory, and reaction.
According to scientists, these discoveries have important practical implications. They call into question common stereotypes and prejudices about people with a late chronotype, who are often considered less effective workers. The results of the study call for a more objective assessment of a person's cognitive abilities, regardless of their biological rhythms.
Moreover, experts note that this work can help in developing more flexible and individualized approaches to organizing educational and professional activities. After all, understanding the characteristics of representatives of different chronotypes opens up new opportunities for the most effective use of their intellectual potential.
Experts emphasize the need for further research in this area. They are convinced that a detailed study of the influence of biorhythms on human cognitive functions will allow us to reconsider established ideas and stereotypes. Perhaps in the near future the perception of “owls” and “larks” will change dramatically, giving way to a more differentiated and objective approach.