This is why “owls” are more prone to anxiety than “larks”

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According to the results of a new study, “owls” people really have a higher tendency to anxiety and anxiety disorders compared to “larks” people. And this is explained by their emotional reaction to fear.

By chronotype, all people can be divided into “owls” and “larks”. The former are most productive in the evening, the latter in the morning. There is also an intermediate type that can adapt well to work in both morning and evening hours.

A team of scientists studied the fear response in healthy people with different chronotypes. In a scientific article published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, experts analyzed data on 40 people – students at the University of Messina. Of these, 20 people had an intermediate chronotype, and another 20 people – evening (that is, they were “owls”). All participants had to perform tasks based on the classical Pavlovian fear paradigm for two days.

The results of the study showed that the “owls” had a more pronounced fear response compared to people with an intermediate chronotype. This confirms the fact that people with an evening chronotype are more likely to develop anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder.

Scientists believe that the higher vulnerability to anxiety in “owls” may be associated with altered fear acquisition.