Scientists have found the reason why early birds get the worms may be because night owls have lower functional connectivity in the brain, slower reaction times, and may struggle with a standard 9-5 work day.
Research shows individuals who have an average bedtime of 2:30 am and wake at 10:15 generally have lower resting brain connectivity in many of the regions linked to the maintenance of consciousness.
Lead researcher Dr Elise, Facer-Childs of the Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, found that those with internal body clocks dictating later-than-usual sleep and wake-up times had differences in their resting brain connectivity, which resulted in poorer attention, slower reactions and increased sleepiness during the standard working day hours when compared to their early-rising counterparts.