Calling all night owls, we have some bad news for you. Sadly, it seems your love of the darker hours could spell trouble as you approach retirement age, facing a higher risk of needing to retire early and take a disability pension, compared to morning people.
That’s according to a new research project from the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. This research compared different types of chronotypes to analyse their health risks.
A chronotype is simply the body’s natural schedule for sleeping and waking. Based on the times you are most alert and your body is at peak function, you are divided into one of three groups: morning, intermediate and evening types.
There has been a lot of research into these classifications in the past. Sadly, night owls often come out in the worst categories. Evening types tend to have worse health and more difficulty getting up in the morning.
For these latest findings, a team of researchers analysed data from an ongoing population study which started in 1966. This included 96% of all people born in two northern provinces of Finland.
In 2012, when these individuals were 46, they were asked a series of questions to determine their chronotype.
The researchers classified 684 people as evening types, 2537 as morning types, and the rest as intermediate types. Using this information, the team linked the results with Finland’s national registers on work and pensions.
During the 12 year follow-up, 135 of the men and 249 of the women were granted their first disability pension. Being classed as an evening type at 46 was linked with a 1.7 increased likelihood of getting a disability pension in the following 12 years compared to morning types.
This association stuck even when accounting for socio-economic factors. In Finland, a disability pension is only granted after a period of severe and long term health decline.
The Researchers believe that the poorer health of evening types compared with morning types is the main contributor to the increased incidence of disability pensions in this group.
“People who are evening types represent a significant proportion of the population and their health and ability to continue working until retirement age pose challenges for sustainable economies,” say the researchers.
This, however, is an observational study so it does need to be taken with a pinch of salt. It is also tested on a limited number of people and only in Finland. However, it does give an indication of the risks night owls might face.
