Finnish study links night owls to 70% greater disability pension risk
A Finnish study suggests evening types are 70% more likely than early risers to need a disability pension, while earlier Imperial College research linked night owls to sharper thinking.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A study in Finland has linked a preference for working in the evening to a higher risk of needing a disability pension. The research found that people who describe themselves as evening types are 70% more likely to need a disability pension than early risers. The researchers behind the Finnish study believe late sleepers are misaligned with society, which can lead to bad sleep and poor health choices.
The finding was set against earlier research from Imperial College London. A few years ago, researchers there studied 26,000 people and suggested that night owls could be sharper than early risers. Participants completed tests of intelligence, reasoning, reaction time and memory. The Imperial team also examined how sleep duration and quality affected brain performance. It found that people who stayed up late, and those classed as intermediate, had superior cognitive function.
The two studies point in different directions. The Finnish work looks at disability pension risk, a long-term work and health outcome. The Imperial College work looks at cognitive performance. During discussion of the Finnish result, one presenter said it sounded unfair to night owls, and the hosts noted that both very early and very late sleep patterns can be tiring.
Key details of the Finnish study, such as its sample size, how it defined evening preference, and whether it can show cause and effect, were not given in the coverage. The Imperial College study was described as involving 26,000 people and tests of intelligence, reasoning, reaction time and memory.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| A Finnish study reported that evening-oriented workers were 70% more likely to require a disability pension than early risers. | |
| Earlier Imperial College London research indicated that night owls might be sharper than early risers. | |
| Researchers suggested that late sleepers are misaligned with society, leading to worse sleep and poorer health choices. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News led with the Finnish study's 70% disability pension finding before turning to earlier Imperial College research that night owls may be sharper. The presenters were light and personal, joking that they are early to bed and early to rise and saying the Finnish result sounded unfair. It did not give the Finnish study's sample size, methods or limitations, and it did not explore how the two studies might be reconciled.
- “A study in Finland has found that people who say they prefer working in the evening are 70% more likely to need a disability pension compared to early risers.”
- “The researchers think that late sleepers are misaligned with society, leading to bad sleep and poor health choices.”
- “And they found those that stayed up late and those classed as intermediate had superior cognitive function.”
Broadcast Timeline
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