People are increasingly realizing that there may be no more important indicator for various systems in the body than sleep. Researchers have found that it can affect your mood, physical health, and now your habits as well. A recent study conducted in Italy found that evening chronotypes (affectionately known as “night owls”) may smoke more and consume more alcohol than other chronotypes. It turned out that. (1)
Initially, 465 people between the ages of 18 and 40 participated in the study. All participants were based in Italy, and the survey portion of the study was conducted via social media and email. To establish BMI, participants were asked questions about age, gender, occupation, height, and weight. Additional questions were asked regarding the average number of cigarettes smoked per week and the number of alcohol units (AU) consumed per week.
Participants self-rated their sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The Morning and Evening Questionnaire (rMEQ) was used to establish the participants’ chronotype.
A subgroup of 245 participants was also asked to wear a Fitbit Inspire 2 for one week after completing the study to assess sleep quality and efficiency. Full participation in the study required a complete questionnaire, resulting in a final number of participants of 437 study participants and 206 Fitbit wearers.
This study found a direct link between chronotype and lifestyle choices, especially in older men. Participants in the evening chronotype had a higher BMI and smoked more cigarettes per week than the other chronotype groups. Furthermore, this chronotype was shown to have poorer sleep quality and increased alcohol intake.
These same results were replicated in the group wearing Fitbits, except for the association between alcohol intake and chronotype.
This new information adds to a growing body of research on how much our chronotype influences our overall health and habits. A 2009 study found a direct correlation between late chronotype and smoking in all age groups, but especially in teens and young adults. (2) And a 2021 review found that later chronotypes have poorer sleep quality, which has a bidirectional impact on overall health, including cardiovascular health, metabolic disorders, and cancer. (3) We also know that chronotype can affect male infertility and even earnings at work.
Not sure what your chronotype is? Answer the quiz before going to bed…your health depends on it.
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source of information
1. Simone Bruno, Francesco Dadovelli, Marco Di Galante, Andrea Bazzani, Francie Cruz-Sanabria, Alessandro Colitta, Paola D’Ascanio, Paolo Frumento, Ugo Faraguna,
Chronotype and lifestyle during the transition to adulthood: Exploring the role of sleep health and circadian rhythm disruption
Sleep Health, 2024, ISSN 2352-7218, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2024.08.003.
2. Wittmann, M., Dinich, J., Merrow, M., Roenneberg, T. (2006). Social jet lag: The discrepancy between biological and social time. Chronobiology International, 23(1–2), 497–509. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420520500545979
3. Montaruli A, Castelli L, Mule A, Scurati R, Esposito F, Galasso L, Roveda E. Biological rhythms and chronotypes: new perspectives in health. biomolecules. 2021; 11(4):487. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11040487
alexandra frost
Alexandra Frost is a Cincinnati-based freelance journalist, content marketing writer, copywriter, and editor specializing in health and wellness, parenting, real estate, business, education, and lifestyle. Away from the keyboard, Alex is also a mom to four sons under the age of seven, which keeps things confusing, fun, and interesting. For more than a decade, she has helped publications and companies connect with readers and deliver high-quality information and research in a voice they can relate to. She has been featured in The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Glamour, Shape, Today’s Parent, Reader’s Digest, Parents, Women’s Health, and Insider.
