Kate Hawkesby: Finnish study finds Early Birds get the worm

I’ve got some good news for you. Every one of you up now listening, is a go getter. Early birds are into it as we know, but not only that, research tell us they also earn more.   A recent study showed night owls earn 4 percent less than early risers ..and it’s all down to circadian rhythms apparently. Scientists discovered in a Finnish study of more than 12 thousand people, that those who are more active at night, tend to earn less than early risers. That’s  because they’re more likely to make poor lifestyle choices.. like drinking more alcohol, smoking, not exercising as much, and having an unhealthy diet.   Night owls are also more likely to have more screen time, affecting their melatonin production and ability to sleep.. therefore they sleep worse and wake later, feeling less energized. Many according to the study, also had higher BMI’s.   Scientists discovered that on average, night owls accumulate less human, social and health capital. This is because they apparently acquire less work experience, make those poorer health and lifestyle choices, and end up with sleep problems. Which, let’s face it, is one of the key components of good health… a decent night’s sleep. So that part makes sense.   Early birds, on the other hand, are the first awake, they’re more likely to have slept better and earlier, in those crucial pre midnight hours of sleep, and they’re starting fresher and more ready. They’re more work ready.   But this all comes down to chronotype according to the researchers. You may not be able to help it that you’re a night owl or an early bird, it’s just the way your body is wired. Your body may not be able to function or be active at the set time of day you might want it to.   I know people who, try as they might, just cannot get their bodies to function early in the morning, but they feel their peak activity and fitness comes in the middle of the day. Likewise there are early birds like me who literally can’t stay up past 10pm without feeling like they’re on the verge of collapse.   But being a Nana at night time serves us well if it means you can be more productive in the morning. And as this study shows, it can also make you a stronger income earner.   Not all is lost for night owls though. According to scientists, ‘evening type individuals could likely earn higher wages through better lifestyle choices.’ Which seems obvious given everything is a domino effect isn’t it? Stay up later, you get hungrier, you eat more crap, you drink more, you’re less tired, you look at screens for longer, then you’re too wired, so you sleep poorly.   They actually got some hard data on the numbers in terms of income, men who were night owls had ‘a four percent average lower income.’ Which is food for thought next time you’re staying up late binge watching Netflix with the choccky biscuits. Not all night owls are staying up late just to eat rubbish and watch TV though, some are genuinely just more productive at night because that’s when their body clock is more alert. The nub of it is what you do with that alert time.   The study concluded that ‘evening type people could earn higher wages if they made better lifestyle choices.’ So that part’s in their hands. But for us early birds it’s validation here surely, that being up at the crack of dawn, is actually not only smart, it’s lucrative. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.