Night owls have a shorter attention span than 'morning larks'

Night owls may struggle to pay attention during the day because their brains function less well. Late-sleepers show fewer interactions between the parts of the brain which control mental tasks, a study has found. They also have a poorer attention span and slower reaction times, which could make it much harder to do their day jobs. Late-sleepers show fewer interactions between the parts of the brain which control mental tasks, a study has found. Researchers led by the University of Birmingham scanned the brains of 38 people who were either morning'larks' or night owls.