New research indicates that night owls may earn 4% less than early risers, with a connection found between circadian rhythm and income levels. Scientists at the University of Oulu in Finland analyzed data from 12,000 individuals, examining factors such as education, work experience, lifestyle, and health to make these findings.
Finding the Link Between Circadian Rhythm and Income
In the study, titled "The association between chronotype and wages at mid-age" published in the journal Economics & Human Biology, researchers from the University of Oulu in Finland unveiled a connection between people's internal circadian rhythms, referred to as chronotypes, and their income levels.
Findings show that individuals who exhibit night owl tendencies, or those who are more active during the evening, tend to exhibit characteristics that are linked with lower income, particularly among middle-aged men.
Chronotype refers to the individual's internal circadian rhythm, dictating their sleep patterns and preferred activity periods throughout the day. This investigation delves into how an individual's chronotype may be correlated with their labor market outcomes, examining the underlying mechanisms involved.
The team analyzed data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 and Finnish Tax Administration records to investigate how an individual's circadian rhythm, or chronotype, might impact their income.
Night Owls Tend To Exhibit 'Bad' Habits Than Early Birds
They discovered that individuals with an evening chronotype, who tend to be more active in the evening, often exhibit behaviors associated with lower income, especially among middle-aged men. These behaviors include higher alcohol consumption, smoking, lower physical activity, increased BMI, extended screen time outside of work and school, and unhealthy dietary choices.
Dr. Andrew Conlin, a researcher from the Oulu Business School, emphasized that evening chronotypes generally accumulate less human, social, and health capital. On average, they accrue less work experience and make less favorable choices regarding a healthy lifestyle, leading to lower incomes in middle age.
Among men, this mediated effect of evening chronotype resulted in up to a 4% lower average annual income during a seven-year follow-up period. These findings are significant both economically and socially, as evening individuals represent a substantial portion of the population, comprising 11% of the study sample.
The researchers stress the importance of recognizing and accommodating individuals' chronotypes in the workplace, as the traditional 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. workday may not align optimally with the activity patterns of evening chronotype individuals, who may face sleep problems and reduced productivity during standard working hours.
Professor Leena Ala-Mursula highlights the need to find solutions that support healthier lifestyle choices among evening chronotype individuals. The researchers underscore that the study results should not be interpreted as causal, meaning that having an evening chronotype does not guarantee a lower wage. Nevertheless, they hope that their work will stimulate further research in this area.
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