Night Owls Have Superior Cognitive Function, Study Finds

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Night owls can finally hoot with pride. New research reveals that people who peak in the evening often demonstrate stronger cognitive performance than their early-bird counterparts, challenging the long-standing notion that morning types hold the advantage.

Study Design and Scope

An international team led by Imperial College London analysed data from the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database containing information on half a million UK participants. The researchers focused on 26,000 individuals who had completed cognitive tests and self-reported their natural sleep-wake preferences as either “morning” or “evening” types.

The study, published in BMJ Public Health, also examined how sleep duration influences brain function, confirming that seven to nine hours per night is optimal.

Night Owls Show Clear Cognitive Edge

After adjusting for multiple variables, evening types outperformed morning types in two separate analyses. In one sample, night owls scored 13.5 % higher; in the second, they scored 7.5 % higher. Participants classified as “intermediate” types—those comfortable shifting between early and late schedules—also surpassed strict morning people by 10.6 % and 6.3 % respectively.

Cognitive performance was assessed through four validated tests measuring visual and working memory, reaction time, verbal reasoning, and numerical intelligence.

Why Different Sample Sizes Were Used

Some participants completed only two of the four cognitive tests. Researchers included both groups to maximise statistical power and ensure the findings better represent the wider population.

Sleep Duration Matters Most

The data clearly showed that sleeping fewer than seven or more than nine hours was linked to poorer cognitive scores. Seven to nine hours emerged as the sweet spot for maintaining peak brain function.

Important Nuance from the Lead Author

“It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean all morning people have worse cognitive performance,” said Dr Raha West, lead author from Imperial College London. “The findings reflect an overall trend where the majority might lean towards better cognition in the evening types.”

While cultural sayings such as “the early bird catches the worm” may persist, this large-scale evidence offers night owls a scientifically grounded counterpoint: their preferred schedule could be associated with measurable cognitive strengths.

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