1. Chronotype vs. Social Jetlag
Chronotype itself (being a night owl) is a natural biological variation.
The bigger issue is circadian misalignment (social jetlag), when someone’s internal clock doesn’t match their external obligations (e.g., work or school schedules).
The authors note:
“If an individual can live according to their own biological clock, the chronotype will reflect the circadian rhythm. However, in case of circadian misalignment leading to social jetlag, this factor could also partially explain the association, rather than chronotype itself.”
This means the harmful effect may not come from being a night owl per se, but from being forced into schedules that don’t fit their body clock.
2. Why highly educated people were most affected
The study only found significant cognitive decline in highly educated participants, who are more likely to work rigid 9-to-5 jobs.
By contrast, people in lower or middle education groups may have jobs with more flexible hours, which allows their work time to align better with their chronotype.
The authors suggest this flexibility may protect them from the negative effects
3. Implication: Matching schedules could help
While the study didn’t directly test flexible schedules as an intervention, the discussion strongly implies that:
If night owls could align their work and social lives with their natural rhythm, the risk of cognitive decline might be reduced.
The authors even recommend:
“…the promotion of flexible work schedules, particularly among highly educated individuals.”
所以夜猫子不是问题, 问题是如果夜猫子可以根据自己的生物钟作息, 就没那么严重。别武断的拿去给自己孩子说让他们早睡哈。。。。