Latest news with #AnaWenzler
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Night owls in 9-to-5 jobs may experience more brain fog over time: Here's what science suggests to protect your mind
Are you someone who thrives after sunset, bingeing shows or getting work done when the world sleeps? Well, science might have a wake-up call for you. A recent comprehensive 10-year study involving nearly 24,000 adults has revealed a concerning link between being a night owl and cognitive decline, but with an unexpected twist. Researchers at the University of Groningen tracked participants over a decade and found that night owls faced notably greater cognitive decline compared to early risers. The surprising detail? This pattern didn't appear in individuals with lower levels of education, no matter their sleep habits. (Also read: Cardiologist shares his daily routine for better heart health: '8 hours of sleep, aerobic exercise and balanced eating' ) Among college-educated adults, every hour shift toward a night owl schedule led to a 0.80-point drop in cognitive scores over 10 years, a noticeable dip in mental sharpness for extremely late sleepers. Your chronotype, or natural sleep-wake preference, is guided by your circadian rhythm, the body's internal clock. While around 20 percent of adults lean toward late nights in midlife, only 7 percent are true early birds. The link to education seems to boil down to job flexibility. Highly educated professionals often have rigid 9-to-5 schedules, leaving little room for natural sleep preferences. In contrast, people with less formal education often work varied hours that may align better with their body clocks. When your job forces early wake-ups against your natural rhythm, it creates 'social jet lag', a kind of ongoing biological mismatch. Night owls with strict schedules may feel this more acutely. 'Children are morning people, but that shifts in puberty,' explains lead author Ana Wenzler. 'Most revert to being morning types by 40, but not everyone. Evening people deviate from that norm.' Published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, the study pointed to two main drivers of cognitive decline in night owls: poor sleep and smoking. Among highly educated participants, these explained about a third of the link to brain fog. Night owls often had worse sleep quality, likely due to staying up late but waking early for work, leading to chronic sleep deprivation, which affects the brain's ability to clear harmful proteins tied to Alzheimer's. Surprisingly, smoking accounted for about 19 percent of the decline. Night owls were more likely to smoke, possibly to counter the effects of their disrupted sleep schedules. Alcohol use and physical activity didn't play a significant role despite differences in habits. Approximately one in five American adults naturally prefer late sleep schedules, which means millions, particularly professionals with early-morning routines, could be affected. The study assessed cognitive decline through tests focused on executive function and problem-solving, both essential for adapting to new situations and managing everyday tasks. While the researchers stop short of directly linking this decline to dementia, any measurable drop in cognitive function over a decade is concerning. That said, these findings may open the door to preventive strategies. Flexible work hours could be especially beneficial for highly educated night owls. Allowing later start times for those whose biological clocks favour evening hours may help protect long-term brain health. Additionally, programs aimed at improving sleep quality and supporting smoking cessation could play a key role. Since these two factors accounted for 25 percent of the cognitive decline observed, addressing them may significantly reduce risk. Previous research has consistently emphasised the critical role of sleep in maintaining optimal brain function. This study reinforces the idea that our natural sleep preferences may carry real cognitive consequences, particularly when they clash with daily schedules. For those navigating structured early-morning environments despite an evening chronotype, the goal should not be to override biology but to work with it or minimise the long-term strain of resisting it.
Arab Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Arab Times
Night owls face greater risk of cognitive decline than early risers
NEW YORK, May 29: Individuals who regularly stay up late and go to bed late—commonly known as night owls—are more likely to experience faster cognitive decline than early risers, according to new research from the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). The study, conducted by researcher Ana Wenzler, is part of the national BIRD-NL project, which explores strategies to prevent dementia as the population ages. Wenzler emphasizes that while biological predispositions play a role, some risks can be reduced through behavior changes. 'The good news is that this decline can be partly influenced by behavior,' said Wenzler, who focuses her research on dementia prevention. 'After the age of 40, the brain naturally begins to deteriorate. Our goal is to identify lifestyle or environmental factors that can lower the risk.' Wenzler's study examines the concept of chronotype, which refers to a person's natural tendency to be active at certain times of day. Using data from the long-term Lifelines health study, researchers analyzed participants' sleep patterns and classified them from early risers to night owls based on self-reported sleep habits. The team then tracked changes in cognitive function over a 10-year period by comparing test scores from the beginning and end of the study. The results revealed that night owls were more likely to experience a sharper decline in cognitive abilities. Wenzler noted that this group tends to engage more frequently in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, drinking, poor diet, and lack of exercise—especially during evening hours. 'About 25% of the cognitive decline we observed can be attributed to smoking and poor sleep,' she said. Interestingly, the findings were most pronounced among highly educated individuals, likely due to job constraints that force early waking despite a late chronotype. 'This mismatch can lead to insufficient sleep, depriving the brain of necessary rest,' Wenzler explained. She also noted the natural shifts in chronotype over a lifetime. While most people begin as morning types in childhood, many shift toward evening habits during adolescence and gradually revert to morning tendencies by their 40s. However, some adults remain night owls, which places them outside the biological norm. Wenzler advises individuals to avoid working against their body's natural clock whenever possible. 'Going to bed earlier doesn't help if your body hasn't begun producing melatonin. It simply won't be ready to sleep,' she said. She pointed out that some jobs, particularly in hospitality or shift work, may offer more flexibility for evening types, allowing better alignment with natural sleep rhythms. 'Without that flexibility, the brain suffers from a lack of rest, increasing the likelihood of unhealthy behaviors. Offering later start times could significantly benefit night owls,' she suggested. The UMCG team is now investigating whether night owls also face a higher risk of developing dementia later in life. 'While faster cognitive decline in midlife doesn't necessarily lead to dementia, we want to understand the long-term implications better,' Wenzler said. 'Ultimately, our research aims to offer practical advice to help people reduce their dementia risk.'
