Night Owls Face Higher Risk of Early Retirement and Disability, Study Shows
A new study published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine reveals that "night owls" face a 1.7 times higher risk of early retirement and disability benefits.
Night Owls face higher risk of early retirement
People defined as "night owls" face an above-average risk of requiring early retirement and claiming disability benefits compared to early risers, according to findings published in the medical journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
Researchers classify these individuals as having an "evening chronotype." A chronotype is the body's natural schedule for sleep and wakefulness, representing an innate biological trait with a strong genetic basis. Previous studies indicate that evening types tend to suffer from poorer health and experience more difficulties in working life compared to morning types. However, the direct link between being a night owl and receiving disability benefits later in life had not been fully established until now.
12-year follow-up study in Finland
To strengthen the evidence base, researchers analyzed data from an ongoing population study that began in 1966, encompassing 96% of all individuals born in two provinces in northern Finland. In 2012, when participants were 46 years old, they were asked to complete questionnaires designed to determine their chronotype, including ease of morning waking, degree of fatigue, and preferred working hours.
The baseline sample analyzed by researchers included 5,679 individuals. Researchers classified 253 men (9.7%) and 381 women (12.4%) as evening types, compared to 1,182 men (46%) and 1,355 women (44%) classified as morning types, with the remainder classified as intermediate types. Researchers linked this information with data from Finland's national employment and pension registries. Over a 12-year follow-up period, 135 men (5.2%) and 249 women (8.1%) received their first disability pension.
Erosion of working capacity
According to the researchers, being classified as a night owl at age 46 was linked to a 1.7-fold increase in the likelihood of receiving a disability pension over the subsequent 12 years compared to morning types. This association remained unchanged even after researchers adjusted for socio-economic factors such as education level and occupation type.
"People who are evening types represent a significant portion of the population, and their health and ability to continue working until retirement age pose challenges for stable economies," the researchers concluded.
Researchers note that the health of some evening types approaching their 50s and 60s may deteriorate to the point of eroding their working capacity. They suggest that evening types may have a higher probability of poor health due to lifestyle choices and disruption of their natural internal biological clock, leading to sleep disturbances.
