People who stay up later at night may be more likely to have traits of bipolar, a new study has found.
Researchers found that people with the evening chronotype – commonly referred to as night owls – found it harder to manage their emotions and displayed more bipolar-like behaviours.
Roughly one in three British adults class themselves as night owls, preferring to work later at night because that is when their energy and creativity levels peak.
The new study of 2,031 adults in Italy found that 22.8 per cent considered themselves as night owls, while 22.2 per cent preferred to be up in the morning – known as early birds – and 55 per cent did not state a preference.
From their survey, it was uncovered that the night owls reported significantly higher traits of depression, anxiety, irritability and displayed more unpredictable moods.
They also showed higher levels rates of emotional dysregulation – the term for a person’s ability to handle the intensity of their emotions – compared to early birds and those who did not have a preferred time.
Lead author G. Pontoni said: ‘Our findings strongly support a link between the evening chronotype and affective temperaments associated with bipolar vulnerability.
‘Individuals with later sleep-wake rhythms are more likely to experience emotional dysregulation and subthreshold bipolar features, even in the general population.’
Night owls may be more likely to have traits of bipolar, a new study has found
The study also found that night owls scored higher on questionnaires linked to bipolar-like symptoms, meaning they show more signs associated with the disorder than the other surveyed.
Smoking was also linked to higher bipolar-like traits, while good sleep quality appeared to act as a protective factor, being associated with lower levels of these tendencies.
Professor Andrea Fiorillo, President of the European Psychiatric Association, commented: ‘These results underline the relevance of chronotype when assessing mood symptoms and emotion regulation difficulties.
Considering sleep–wake preferences alongside standard clinical evaluation may help clinicians better characterise risk and tailor follow-up where appropriate.’
Night owls often have to set numerous alarms in the morning to wake themselves up, while early risers often spring out of bed – sometimes even without the need for an alarm.
Many early risers also go to the gym before work in the morning, and feel more productive while the sun is coming up.
Meanwhile, night owls are happy to have a cup of coffee at night or start tasks late in the evening when most people are typically winding down and getting into bed.
A study conducted in 2024 by from Imperial College London said that night owls displayed ‘superior cognitive function’.
Well-known night owls are often cited to include figures such as Winston Churchill, Barack Obama and Robbie Williams.
