A disability pension is a benefit for people whose health substantially limits their ability to work, according to the study. The research tracked whether a person's natural body clock at midlife was associated with their ability to remain in the workforce.
The study was observational and cannot prove that being a night owl or working an early schedule directly causes disability, the report stated. Other health and lifestyle factors may also contribute.
Study Design and Population
The researchers assessed each participant's chronotype, or their natural preference for being active earlier or later in the day, and examined genetic markers associated with morningness, the report stated. Participants were drawn from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 and were working at age 46.
Researchers adjusted for education, income and occupation, and later for participants' health and work schedules, according to the study. The association remained after accounting for education, income and occupation, but became much weaker once health and work schedules were factored in.
Chronotype is the result of both innate and environmental factors, and people who identify as true night owls, described as later or evening chronotypes, tend to go to sleep later, according to Mercola.com.
Key Findings and Adjustments
Evening types had nearly 1.7 times the risk of receiving a disability pension during the follow-up compared with morning types, and the association was similar in men and women, according to the study. Evening types also reported poorer overall health and less healthy habits at the beginning of the study.
When researchers accounted for participants' health and work schedules, the association became much weaker. The higher risk remained after researchers accounted for education, income and occupation.
Prior research has linked evening chronotype to a range of health problems. A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that middle-aged and older adults who are more active in the evenings may face poorer cardiovascular health than those who are active earlier in the day, according to NaturalNews.com [1]. Separately, research from Stanford University found that consistently staying up late significantly raises the risk of depression, anxiety and impulsive behaviors regardless of whether a person is naturally an early riser or a night owl [2].
Work Schedule Mismatch and Limitations
More than 70% of evening types reported their work schedule was a daytime job rather than later shifts that may have better matched their natural rhythms, according to the study. Researchers suggested that consistently working against one's natural body clock could contribute to poor sleep and ongoing fatigue, which may affect health over time, and that mismatch, in turn, could make it harder to remain in the workforce.
Kristen Knutson, associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a press release that jobs and work hours could have more flexibility for owls and that they shouldn't be forced into schedules that ignore their biology [3].
A separate line of research points to metabolic consequences of circadian misalignment. An analysis published in the journal Advances in Nutrition concluded that night owls tend to eat unhealthy foods and face heightened disease risk as a result [4].
Conclusion
Being a night owl may not be the problem, while a schedule that leaves a person perpetually exhausted could be, according to the researchers. If early mornings leave someone consistently exhausted, the researchers suggested not automatically assuming a need for more discipline, because sleep timing is influenced by biology.
Persistent fatigue should be discussed with a health care provider, officials said. Keeping a steady sleep schedule and seeking flexibility where possible may help, according to the study.
References
- Night owls have poorer heart health, study finds. https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-09-09-night-owls-have-poorer-heart-health-study-finds.html
- Study links staying up late to increased mental health struggles. https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-01-14-study-links-late-nights-mental-health-struggles.html
- Early Bird Gets the Worm Night Owls Catch an - Mercola.com, May 10, 2018.
- Night owls are at risk of various diseases because of poor eating habits reveals study - NaturalNews.com, April 28, 2019.
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