You win, night owls — new sleep study suggests staying up late makes you mentally sharper

A man working on his computer late at night wearing headphones.

If you are naturally more focused and proactive in the evenings, with your preferred bedtime anywhere beyond the 12am mark, then you might consider yourself a ‘night owl’. However, if you're among the population who struggle to keep your eyes open past 10pm, you’re probably a ‘morning lark’. 

A new study by Imperial College London analysed the data of 26,000 people and found that night owls performed better in cognitive tests compared to those who enjoy an early morning, leading them to the conclusion that night owls are generally more mentally sharp than morning larks.