Adults with night owl tendencies face a higher risk of damaging their cardiovascular health and suffering potentially fatal health complications compared to their early bird counterparts, a new study revealed.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on Wednesday, found that middle-aged and older adults who are more active in the evenings and nights had worse cardiovascular health compared to those who are “definite morning” and “intermediate” people.
In a pool of more than 320,000 adults between 39 and 74 years old, the authors discovered that the “night owls had a 79% higher prevalence of having an overall poor cardiovascular health score” and “a 16% higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke” in the next 14 years.
Researchers analyzed each test subject’s health metrics — including daily diet, weight, smoking habits, physical activity, blood pressure, cholesterol and other factors — to determine their exact health score.
In an attempt to quell any readers’ anxieties, the researchers assured that the boosted health risks were also “partly due to modifiable behaviors such as smoking and sleep.”
“Evening types aren’t inherently less healthy, but they face challenges that make it particularly important for them to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” Dr. Kristen Knutson, a volunteer chair with the AHA, said in a press release.
Other studies indicate that nocturnal individuals are also more likely to become depressed, die early, develop dementia, diabetes and schizophrenia.
A majority of the studies are keen to note that the health risks are also linked to late-night recreational activities, including smoking and frequent alcohol consumption — a small silver lining for graveyard shift workers who often burn the midnight oil.
One surprising upside, however, is that night owls perform better on cognitive tests than early risers.
Experts recommend going to bed before 1 a.m. to avoid deteriorating their mental and behavioral health.
