Night Owls At Higher Risk For Health Issues

The value of a good night's sleep. The evidence just seems to keep piling up about how important it is for you and I to get enough rest. Now comes more proof that a good night's sleep not only makes you feel better and be more productive, it's also paramount to decreasing your chances of even bigger maladies.

LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center has released a new study that suggests those who live a late night lifestyle are more likely to suffer from diabetes, metabolic disease, and muscle deterioration. What is even more intriguing about these findings is that risks occurred even if the participant gets the same amount of sleep as someone who has an earlier bedtime.

Dr. Courtney Peterson is an assistant professor at the center and she explained the findings to the Louisiana Radio Network.

"We've known for many years now that people who engage in shift work, at night, are at much greater risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and a host of health problems."

The study took into account the sleep habits of 1600 participants. These subjects were between the ages of 47 and 59 years old. From those participating in the study it was determined that 100 of the participants were night owls and the 500 of the participants qualified as early risers. The study looked at the effects of sleeping at night versus catching a nap during the day.

"So it could be that those people who are sleeping during the day, they're sleeping during a sub-optimal time and that light exposure is making the quality of their sleep less good."

The study did take into account the lifestyle, diet, and other factors of each participant. Still the conclusion appears to show what Ben Franklin suggested all along, "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."