Night Owls May Be At Higher Risk Of This Major Health Setback
If your alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m. and you feel like you've barely made it to bed, you know the struggle of being awake before your body is ready.
Maybe you're groggy in the morning but hit your stride later in the day.
That's one way being a night owl can show up in everyday life. But what happens when your natural rhythm regularly clashes with your work schedule? New research suggests the consequences may extend beyond a few rough mornings.
About the study
Researchers studied more than 5,600 adults from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 who were still working at age 46. They assessed each person's chronotype, or their natural preference for being active earlier or later in the day.
The researchers also examined genetic markers associated with morningness.
They then followed participants for 12 years, through 2023, tracking who received a disability pension, a benefit for people whose health substantially limits their ability to work.
The goal was to see whether someone's natural body clock at midlife was associated with their ability to stay in the workforce.
Night owls had a higher risk of leaving work because of health
Evening types had nearly 1.7 times the risk of receiving a disability pension during the follow-up compared with morning types. The association was similar in men and women.
Evening types also reported poorer overall health and less healthy habits at the beginning of the study. The higher risk remained after researchers accounted for education, income, and occupation.
But when researchers accounted for participants' health and work schedules, the association became much weaker.
When your work hours don't match your body clock
More than 70% of evening types who reported their work schedule had daytime jobs rather than later shifts that may have better matched their natural rhythms.
If you're naturally wired to fall asleep later but have to wake up early for work five days a week, the occasional rough morning probably isn't a big deal. The concern is when that mismatch becomes routine for years.
The researchers suggest that consistently working against your natural body clock could contribute to poor sleep and ongoing fatigue, which may affect health over time.
That, in turn, could make it harder to remain in the workforce.
Still, this was an observational study, so it can't prove that being a night owl or working an early schedule directly causes disability. Other health and lifestyle factors may also contribute.
What to do if your schedule is fighting your body clock
If early mornings leave you consistently exhausted, don't automatically assume you need more discipline. Your sleep timing is influenced by biology, and some people naturally function better later in the day.
- Keep your sleep schedule steady: Try to keep your bedtime and wake time consistent throughout the week rather than shifting dramatically on weekends.
- Take persistent fatigue seriously: If you're regularly struggling to function despite allowing enough time for sleep, talk with a health care provider.
- Look for flexibility where you can: If your job allows it, a later start time or more flexible hours may make it easier to get enough sleep and function well during the day. These sleep schedule tips can also help if you're trying to shift your routine.
The takeaway
Being a night owl may not be the problem.
Being stuck in a schedule that leaves you perpetually exhausted could be. If your mornings are a daily battle, it may be worth looking beyond another cup of coffee and considering whether your schedule is giving your sleep a fair shot.