Ever noticed how some people seem to be wide awake and full of energy early in the morning, while others seem to come alive in the late evening?
These two types are usually referred to as ‘morning people’ and ‘night owls’. Morning people wake up early and go to bed early, while night owls stay up late and wake up late.
The Study
In May 2023, an interesting study was published in the journal Chronobiology International.
The research, led by Christer Hublin from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, suggested that night owls might not live as long as morning people. The reason? They might have more unhealthy habits.
The Details
Hublin and his team tracked about 24,000 twins from 1981 to 2018. They looked into what could potentially cause health-related behaviours in these individuals.
Of the twins, around 10% said they were definitely night owls, while 33% said they kind of liked staying up late.
Night Owls vs. Early Risers
The researchers took into account each twin’s education, drinking habits, smoking habits, body mass, and sleep duration.
When comparing these factors, they found that night owls have a 9% higher chance of dying earlier than morning people.
Unhealthy Habits
According to Hublin, night owls seem to drink more alcohol and smoke more tobacco compared to morning people. This could be a reason why they might not live as long.
Dr. Bhanu Prakash Kolla, a sleep medicine specialist, agreed with this.
“We have known for a long time that those who have an evening type preference are more likely to be heavier drinkers, have alcohol use disorder and are also more likely to use other substances including tobacco,” he told CNN.
Other Factors
However, alcohol and smoking might not be the only reasons. Dr. Kolla suggested that night owls might get less sleep because they have to wake up early for work or school. This lack of sleep could increase their risk of early death.
Conclusion
This study sheds light on the potential health risks of being a night owl. However, it’s important to remember that everyone is different, and this is just one piece of the puzzle.
So, if you’re a night owl, consider maintaining a balanced lifestyle and, if possible, try to adjust your sleep schedule to get a good night’s rest.
After all, taking care of your health should always be a priority, whether you’re a night owl or an early riser.
If you care about sleep, please read studies about exercise that can help you sleep better, and this new drug could reduce symptoms of sleep apnea.
For more information about wellness, please see recent studies about drug that can treat sleep loss and insomnia, and results showing early time-restricted eating could help lose weight.
The study was published in Chronobiology International. Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
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