Early birds have more sex, make more money and sleep better than night owls, study finds

The early bird gets the worm. But it also gets, on average, more sex than the night owl, according to a new story. (iStock)

If you’re energetic and confident, enjoy cooking and believe in love at first sight, new research shows you're probably an early bird.

A look into our sleeping habits revealed some interesting differences between those who stay up late and those who rise early, from our personality traits, hobbies, and even our sex lives.

The survey of 2,000 Americans, split evenly between self-identified early birds and night owls, found that early birds have more sex per week, on average than their late-night counterparts.

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Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Sleepopolis in advance of World Sleep Day on March 15, the survey gave insight into our personalities and relationships by examining our sleeping style.

Night owls were found to be shy and sarcastic, more likely to use Instagram and to believe in ghosts and cryptids. They were also more likely to be single, whereas early birds were more likely to be married and have children living in the house.

To find love, early birds are also more likely to have tried online dating.

Early birds were found to earn more money and were more likely to work in an office — though surprisingly, they were also more likely to report always being late for work.
Additionally, early birds were 10 percent more likely to identify as happy, while night owls identified more strongly as loyal.

There was also found to be a difference in gender: Men were more likely to be early birds, while women identified more heavily as night owls.

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Those who consider themselves early birds were found to have more active hobbies; they were more likely to enjoy walking and hiking, playing sports and exercising in a gym. Hobbies for night owls were more laid-back, however, and included reading and sleeping. (Regardless of what they were into, respondents reported spending just less than three hours a hobby in the average day.)

There wasn’t a major difference in the amount of sleep people received — an average of six hours a night for night owls versus seven hours for early birds — but the survey did find some interesting differences in how we sleep. Early birds were more likely to be light sleepers and always feel well-rested in the morning. They were also more likely to identify as clean and organized, and it shows — early birds were more likely to make their bed in the morning than night owls. They were also more likely to dream, and to always remember their dreams upon waking. Night owls, on the other hand, were more likely to have trouble falling asleep, and then perhaps unsurprisingly, were less likely to report high-quality sleep.

“More important than being a night owl or an early bird is making sure to have a consistent sleep schedule and get enough rest,” said Logan Block, the director of content at Sleepopolis. “With World Sleep Day approaching, it’s a nice time to reflect on our sleeping habits."

On the subject of sleep, early birds were also more likely to talk, snore and move around in their sleep, and were also more likely to prefer sleeping with music on or window open. On the other hand, night owls were more likely to prefer having a fan on, and enjoyed sleeping with a pet or a significant other in the bed with them.

He's clearly an early bird. (iStock)

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Keep reading for more early-bird and night-owl preferences.

Early Birds:

• Sleep seven hours a night
• Have sex three times a week; more likely to be married
• Average income: $42 thousand – $4,000 more than night owls
• More likely to work in an office and always be late for work
• More likely to use Facebook
• More likely to have high-quality sleep
• Describe themselves as clean, confident, energetic, friendly, happy, organized and sociable
• Hobbies include cooking, walking/hiking, playing sports and exercising at the gym
• More likely to believe in love at first sight and have tried online dating
• More likely to talk, snore and move around in their sleep
• Wake up at 6:15 a.m.

Night Owls:

• Sleep six hours a night
• Have sex twice a week; more likely to be single
• Average income: $38 thousand – $4,000 less than early birds
• Less likely to work in an office
• More likely to use Instagram
• More likely to have trouble falling asleep
• Describe themselves as perfectionists, sarcastic and shy
• Hobbies include reading and sleeping
• More likely to believe in ghosts and cryptids (Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, etc.)
• More likely to prefer sleeping with pets on the bed
• Go to bed at 2:55 a.m.