summary: A recent study has linked sleep preferences to brain performance, finding that “night owls” often score higher on cognitive tests than “morning people.” Researchers analyzed data from more than 26,000 people and found that sleeping seven to nine hours a night optimizes brain function.
Evening owls performed better than morning types, with a notable difference in cognitive scores. The findings, which adjusted for health and lifestyle factors, highlight the importance of aligning your sleep habits with your natural preferences.
Key Facts:
- Optimal sleep duration: Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night improves cognitive function.
- Chronotype influences: Evening people score higher on cognitive tests than morning people.
- Lifestyle factors: A healthy lifestyle and a younger age are correlated with improved cognitive abilities.
sauce: Imperial College London
A study investigating the impact of sleep on brain performance found a correlation between a preference for morning or evening activities and brain function, suggesting that self-described “night owls” generally tend to have higher cognitive scores.
Researchers from Imperial College London looked at data from more than 26,000 people to see how different aspects of sleep, including duration, pattern and quality, affect mental acuity and overall cognitive performance.
Using data from the vast UK Biobank database, the researchers analysed information on British adults who took a number of cognitive tests, including questions about whether they were “morning people” or “evening people”, which indicates what time of day they are most alert and productive.
This study BMJ Public HealthIt has been found that seven to nine hours of sleep per night is optimal for brain function and enhances cognitive functions such as memory, reasoning, and information processing speed.
In contrast, sleeping less than seven hours or more than nine hours had a clear negative effect on brain function.
They also found that an individual’s chronotype (an individual’s preference for evening or morning activities, commonly referred to as “night owls” and “morning people” respectively) also influenced test scores.
Owl types, or adults who are active at night, performed better on the tests than morning types. Skylarks consistently had the lowest cognitive scores in both groups analyzed, but “intermediate” types, who have a slight preference for day or night, improved their scores, and evening types reached higher levels.
Night owls, or owl types, scored about 13.5% higher than morning people in one group, and 7.5% higher than morning people in the other. A mix of both, intermediate sleepers, did even better, scoring about 10.6% and 6.3% higher than morning people in the two groups. These differences are highly significant, meaning that they are very unlikely to be due to chance.
The analysis adjusted for other health and lifestyle factors, including age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption and the presence of chronic diseases such as heart disease or diabetes.
Younger people and those without chronic diseases generally score higher on cognitive tests, and healthy lifestyle choices are often associated with improved cognitive performance.
“Our research shows that adults who are naturally more active in the evening – what we call ‘night people’ – tend to perform better on cognitive tests than ‘morning people’ adults,” said lead study author Dr Raha West from the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London.
“These chronotypes are not just personal preferences but may influence cognitive function.”
Dr West, who is also an NIHR Postdoctoral Fellow, explains: “It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean that all morning people have poorer cognitive abilities – the findings reflect an overall trend that the majority of people who are evening owls have better cognitive abilities.”
“It is possible to change your natural sleep habits by gradually adjusting your bedtime, increasing your exposure to light at night, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, but completely changing from a morning person to a night owl is complicated.”
She adds: “Understanding and aligning with your natural sleep tendencies is essential, but it’s equally important to get just the right amount of sleep – not too long or too short. This is crucial to keeping your brain healthy and functioning at its best.”
The researchers also found that although sleep duration was important, people who reported insomnia did not have lower cognitive performance than their peers, which may indicate the need to take into account certain aspects of insomnia, such as the severity of the disorder or the length of time they have had it.
Co-leader of the study, Professor Daqing Ma, also from the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, said: “We found that the amount of sleep we get has a direct impact on brain function, so we think actively managing our sleep patterns is crucial to enhancing and protecting our brains.”
“Ideally, we would like to see policy interventions that help improve the sleep patterns of the general population.”
About this Cognition and Circadian Rhythm Research News
author: Samantha Ray
sauce: Imperial College London
contact: Samantha Ray – Imperial College London
image: Image courtesy of Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Sleep duration, chronotype, health and lifestyle factors influence cognition: a cross-sectional study from the UK BiobankDaqing Ma et al. BMJ Public Health
Abstract
Sleep duration, chronotype, health and lifestyle factors influence cognition: a cross-sectional study from the UK Biobank
objective
Explore the nuanced relationships between sleep patterns, chronotype, sleep quality, and the impact of health and lifestyle factors on cognitive performance.
Design, Setup, and Participants
This cross-sectional analysis used ordinary least squares regression within the UK Biobank database to assess 26,820 participants aged 53–86 years, stratified into two cohorts: Cohort 1 (10,067 participants, 56% female, completed all four cognitive tests: fluid intelligence/reasoning, pair-matching, reaction time, and prospective memory) and Cohort 2 (16,753 participants, 56% female, completed only two cognitive assessments: pair-matching and reaction time).
Exposure
Participants self-reported sleep duration, chronotype, and sleep quality. Cognitive function was assessed with standardized computer-based tests. Analyses were adjusted for demographic and comorbidity covariates.
Main Results and Measures
Cognitive performance scores were assessed relative to health and lifestyle factors such as sleep parameters, gender, age, vascular and cardiac conditions, diabetes, alcohol intake, smoking habits and BMI (body mass index).
result
Regression analysis showed a positive correlation between normal sleep duration (7-9 hours) and cognitive scores in cohort 1 (β=0.0567, 95% CI 0.0284-0.0851), whereas longer sleep duration had a negative effect on scores in both cohorts (cohort 1: β=-0.188, 95% CI −0.2938 to −0.0822; cohort 2: β=-0.2619, 95% CI −0.3755 to −0.1482). Chronotype, especially intermediate and evening type, was associated with better cognitive function. Gender, age, angina, hypertension, diabetes, alcohol intake, and smoking emerged as factors significantly influencing cognitive function.
Conclusions and relevance
This study depicts the multifaceted and nuanced relationships between sleep variables, health, and lifestyle factors that determine cognitive outcomes. These findings highlight the important role that sleep quality plays in cognitive health.
