According to the study, “night owls” earn 4% LESS than early risers
- Scientists have discovered a connection between circadian rhythms and income levels
- Those who are more active in the evening tend to earn less than early risers
Night owls tend to stay awake late, while early risers are the first to wake up.
But that’s not the only difference between the two – research suggests that those who work in the middle of the night are likely to earn less.
Scientists have discovered a connection between circadian rhythms – the body’s internal clock – and income levels.
According to the results, people who tend to be more active in the evenings also tend to have characteristics that are associated with lower earnings.
A team from the University of Oulu in Finland analyzed data from 12,000 people and collected information about their education, work experience, lifestyle choices and health.
Night owls tend to stay awake late, while early risers are the first to wake up. But that’s not the only difference between the two – research suggests those who work in the middle of the night are likely to earn less (stock image)
They found that night owls tend to exhibit “worse” traits, such as drinking more alcohol, smoking, not exercising, having a high BMI, eating unhealthy foods and spending longer periods of time in front of screens.
And this is associated with lower income levels in middle age, they said.
For men, the negative influence of being a night owl – also known as an “evening chronotype” – was associated with a four percent lower average annual income.
This equates to an annual income of £48,000 ($58,000) compared to £50,000 ($61,000).
Dr. Andrew Conlin, who worked on the study, said: “Evening chronotypes tend to accumulate less human, social and health capital.”
Night owls tend to exhibit “worse” traits, such as: B. more alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise, high BMI, unhealthy diet and longer screen time (archive image)
“On average, less work experience and poorer healthy lifestyle choices are associated with lower income levels in middle age.”
The team said their findings highlight the importance of recognizing and considering individuals’ chronotypes in the workplace.
Because night owls are more active and alert in the evening, they tend to have trouble sleeping and are unable to work during their most productive time of the day, they added.
The study, published in the journal Economics and Human Biology, said: “Evening people could likely earn higher wages through better lifestyle choices.”