Night owls challenge early birds for cognitive edge, study suggests

Avery Newmark | (TNS) The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The early bird may not always get the worm, at least when it comes to cognitive performance. A study from Imperial College London suggests night owls — those who feel more alert and productive in the evening — tend to outperform their early rising counterparts on brain tests.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 26,000 participants and found evening people scored up to 13.5% higher than morning people on cognitive assessments. Even those without a strong preference for morning or night still performed better than early risers.

“Our study found that adults who are naturally more active in the evening tended to perform better on cognitive tests than those who are ‘morning people.’ Rather than just being personal preferences, these chronotypes could impact our cognitive function,” lead author Dr. Raha West explained.

The study accounted for age, gender, smoking, drinking, health conditions and other factors. Younger people and those without chronic illnesses generally did better on the tests. Healthier lifestyle choices were also linked to better brain performance.

But don’t stay up all night just yet. The study also found that getting the right amount of sleep is crucial for everyone. People who slept between seven and nine hours a night had the best brain function. Those who slept too little or too much showed decreased cognitive performance.

“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,” West said. “This is crucial for keeping your brain healthy and functioning at its best.”

Although these findings are interesting, the study notes more research is needed to fully understand how sleep patterns affect brain performance. So whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, focus on getting quality sleep to help keep your brain sharp.

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