“Morning Larks” and “Night Owls”: Who Struggles More to Balance Work and Life?

People with an evening chronotype, often referred to as “night owls,” may find it harder than “morning larks” to recover after work and maintain a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives. They are also more likely to experience symptoms of mental health problems, particularly anxiety, when their evening preference is especially pronounced. These are the findings of a study published in the journal Sleep Health.

Researchers analyzed data from 2,266 working residents of Finland and divided them into three groups based on their individual circadian rhythms: morning, evening and intermediate chronotypes.

Participants were asked about symptoms of anxiety and depression, the extent to which work continued to affect them after the end of the working day, and how effectively they were able to recover from work-related demands.

The most significant difficulties were observed among people with a strong evening chronotype. In this group, the link between being a “night owl” and anxiety disorders was largely explained by poorer recovery after work and greater difficulties separating professional responsibilities from personal life.

On average, night owls also followed less healthy lifestyles. However, health-related behaviors did not fully account for either their work-life balance difficulties or their increased risk of mental health problems.

The authors say the findings could help explain why some employees are more vulnerable to the negative effects of workplace demands than others. They suggest that measures aimed at improving work-life balance and supporting recovery after the working day could be made more effective by taking individual chronotypes into account.

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