Night owls experience more mental health issues than early birds and take longer to recover from work
Balancing work and personal life is more challenging for evening types, or "night owls," than for morning types, or "early birds." Evening types have a harder time recovering from work and are more likely to have mental health symptoms and diagnoses than morning types. Evening types also have less healthy lifestyles, although this does not explain the challenges with work-life balance or mental…
A recent study published in the journal Sleep Health has found that evening types, or night owls, experience more mental health issues than their morning counterparts, or early birds. The research, conducted among 2,266 working-age individuals in Finland, divided participants into morning, evening, and intermediate types based on their circadian rhythms.
The study found that extreme evening types reported poorer work recovery, greater work-life imbalance, and higher anxiety and depression symptoms or diagnoses compared to morning types. Poor recovery from work and difficulties in balancing work and personal life appeared to be the primary factors explaining the association between night owling and mental health issues.
The study highlights the importance of understanding how working life affects mental health risks and identifies those who may be particularly vulnerable to negative effects. This will enable the development of targeted measures to promote work-life balance and recovery from work, ultimately promoting well-being at work and reducing workplace inequality.
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