Why Night Owls Shine Brightest

Daily Mail Article:

It appears the 18th century scientist Benjamin Franklin got it wrong – early to bed and early to rise does not make you healthy, wealthy or wise.

In fact, the teenager who burns the midnight oil and lounges in bed until lunchtime may have found the best way forward, according to psychologists.

A new studying linking human intelligence and the 24-hour rhythm of light and dark shows that night owls are definitely cleverer than early larks.

Researchers have found that people who get up later in the day and start work later have quicker minds and a better memory. Vindicating geniuses such as Mozart, who was vilified for lying in bed all day, the study has shown that early birds are mentally slower and prone to forgetfulness.

The joint project by the University of Sydney and the U.S. Air Force involved more than 400 recruits who completed questionnaires to establish their sleeping and waking patterns.

Each was then put through mental agility and memory tests.

The scientists discovered that those who favoured a late start to the day typically had a significantly better mental speed and memory.

Richard Roberts, of the University of Sydney, said: “The results indicate that, contrary to conventional folk wisdom, evening types are more likely to have higher intelligent scores.”

‘Early to bed, early to rise, will make you anything but wise.’

The researchers are not sure why that is the case, but it may be a hangover from prehistoric times.

They suggest there may be a link to our ancestors who had a better chance of survival if they remained bright and alert after dark to ward off nocturnal predators. Dr Roberts said: ‘It would not seem too fanciful to argue that those able to adapt to evening schedules were among the fittest of the emerging Homo sapiens.’

A similar study of sleep patterns carried out by the University and General Hospital in Southampton last year also showed that the Franklin theory was flawed.

Scientists examined the lifestyles of 1,300 people and assessed their health, wealth, and – with the help of mental tests – their wisdom.

Although they did not conclude that night owls were more intelligent than early risers, their research showed there was little or no difference between the two groups.

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I have no idea how old this newspaper article is but I found the above-mentioned research article by the University and General Hospital in Southampton published in a very reputable journal - the British Medical Journal (Click here for the full article, or here for just the key results of the study).

No doubt the research is flawed (there is no perfect research, so by default, every research is flawed) and some interesting discussions (including one that considers the lack of electricity during Franklin's time and another that mentions India's rapid rate of reproduction) have been generated. So I guess we can decide to:

a) acknowledge that the research is flawed to some extent, but generally sound and either continue to be/become an owl (being "evidence-based" is fashionable nowadays).

b) vehemently deny the results. How can all the most parents in the world be wrong?

c) take it with a pinch of salt and recognize it as a "teaser" as the authors intended it to be.

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Disclaimer:

MissyMinz will not entertain any e-mails from teenagers asking her to convince their parents that people who stay up late and get up at lunch time are more mentally agile and have better memories.

MissyMinz has personally been through this battle and going through it once is enough. She has no intention of fighting this battle for anyone else.