An international team of scientists from Great Britain and the United States completed a large-scale study of human chronotypes, which lasted 6.5 years, and came to the conclusion that "owl" people risk dying before their biological time was measured. The researchers shared their work in the specialized journal Chronobiology International.
“People are nocturnal not of their own free will, but due to the peculiarities of their psyche and physiology. Our task is to help such people adapt in life and, by resorting to preventive measures, take care of their health,”says one of the study co-authors Kristen Knutson from Northwestern University (USA).
“Perhaps our research confirms that owls have their own biological clock, the course of which does not coincide with the passage of time outside their consciousness,” the researcher adds, noting that due to chronic lack of sleep, owls are much more likely to undermine their health versus larks.
"Late falling asleep and waking up is a problem that society cannot ignore," says Malcolm von Schantz, professor of chronobiology at the University of Surrey.
The large-scale study involved more than half a million volunteers from England aged 38 to 73 years. The analysis also collected data on gender, race, body mass index, the presence of diseases and smoking of participants, as well as how many hours a day they sleep.
The results of the study show that the risk of early death in "owls" is 10 percent higher than in people who adhere to the natural sequence of waking and sleeping.
Traditionally, it is believed that there are three types of human chronotypes, among them: "owl", "lark" and "dove". People whose chronotype corresponds to a "lark" or "dove" more often do not experience problems with waking up in the morning and staying awake during the day. "Owls" are constantly disturbed by drowsiness.
Activity in the modern world is more tailored to the "larks": the work and school day starts early enough, which makes some tasks more difficult for "owls". The constant lack of sleep caused by the need to get up early leads to the appearance of the so-called "social jet lag". Recently, for example, scientists have found that because of the early start of classes in universities, those who prefer to lead a more evening-night lifestyle receive worse grades. At the same time, "owls" are considered more social than those who are used to getting up at dawn. The latter, in turn, prefer mainly to communicate only with friends.
Promotional video:
The need to adjust to the morning-day activities can negatively affect the health of "owls". The report of scientists notes that "owls", according to the data obtained, are most susceptible to cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular failure), endocrine system disorders (diabetes, dysfunction of large endocrine glands).
Nocturnal lifestyle also provokes the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, pulmonary disorders and mental disorders, according to the study.
Scientists note that their work is the first large-scale study of the links between a person's chronotype and the risk of death from various natural causes. In the future, more research is needed to help determine the physiological reasons for this relationship.
Nikolay Khizhnyak