Are you a night person? Science has found a benefit in this.

In general, we find ourselves accustomed to associating healthy habits with sleeping and waking up early. But Science has made discoveries. Which can show that our idea on this subject is not without doubt.

Scientists at Imperial College London (ICL) have discovered that “night owls” have significantly greater brain function than people who wake up early. So if you think the day only really starts at 5pm, this discovery could be a great argument against anyone who wants to lecture you on how early is healthier.

“Our study found that adults who are naturally more active in the evening (what we call evening people) tend to perform better on cognitive tests than those who are morning people,” said lead study author Raha West of the Department of Surgery and Cancer at ICL.

“Rather than being just personal preferences, these chronotypes can influence our cognitive ability,” West adds.

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Previous studies have linked “evening people” to adverse health outcomes, including putting people at risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and even a 10% higher risk of premature death than “morning people.” Night owls are also often associated with higher rates of psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Genetic studies have suggested that morning and evening sleep preferences are closely linked to our biology, with variables associated with shifts in circadian rhythms playing a major role in when we feel the need to sleep.

Of course, this work is still in progress, but it is already known that a person's nocturnal behavior is complex and is not governed solely by personal choice or willpower.

People's Night Study Results

• In the latest study, researchers looked at more than 26,000 participants in the UK Biobank and their sleep habits — including duration and quality — and their performance on cognitive tests.
• These participants also described themselves as morning or night people.
• After adjusting for health and lifestyle factors such as chronic diseases, smoking and alcohol consumption, the researchers found that night owls scored 13.5% higher than morning owls in one group, and 7.5% higher in another.
• Together, morning people consistently scored lower on tests across the board, with even “average” people — those who don’t consider themselves morning people or night owls — scoring 10.6% and 6.3% better than “early risers” who wake up early.

The key to the results also appears to be the amount of sleep per night, which may not be surprising.

In studies, researchers have noted that between seven and nine hours of sleep is best for our brains, especially when it comes to memory and information processing speed. However, they have also found that sleeping more than nine hours is actually linked to a decline in brain function.

In another surprising finding from the study, those who reported insomnia did not show significant declines in brain function as a result of poor sleep. But the scientists said this is likely more subtle, and the results do not take into account the duration or severity of insomnia.

In short, night owls may finally have something to brag about for living this lifestyle. Staying up late may actually be better for your brain than waking up early, as long as you can hit the sweet spot of seven to nine hours of sleep.