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Early Risers have better Metabolism

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matabolism and sleep During our lifetimes, we tend to develop fairly consistent patterns when it comes to our sleep-wake cycles. This is referred to as the “chronotype” of our underlying circadian rhythms. On one side of the coin you’ll find the morning chronotype, or the early bird. On the flip slide is the night chronotype, or what we typically call the night owl.

If you’ve ever wondered which of these opposing sleep patterns is healthier for you, new research may hold the answer.

A new study examined the sleeping habits and metabolic function of more than 1,600 people between the ages of 47 and 59. Each of the participants responded to questionnaires about their sleep-wake cycle, sleep quality and lifestyle habits.

The researchers took blood samples from all of the subjects to assess metabolic health. They also took measure of the participants’ body fat, lean mass, and visceral (abdominal) fat.

Based on the questionnaire results, researchers identified 480 participants as morning chronotypes, and 95 as evening chronotypes. The remaining participants had a sleep-wake cycle between the two extremes. However, when it came to health measures, those who were night owls fared for the worse…

  • Even though the evening chronotypes tended to be younger, they had higher levels of body fat. Their triglyceride levels were higher, too.
  • Night owls were more likely to have sarcopenia. This is a condition where the body gradually loses muscle mass.
  • Men who stayed up late were more likely have diabetes or sarcopenia than the early risers.
  • Among women, night owls tended to have more belly fat and a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, which increases the chances of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

“Regardless of lifestyle, people who stayed up late faced a higher risk of developing health problems like diabetes or reduced muscle mass than those who were early risers,” said one of the study’s authors, Nan Hee Kim, MD, PhD. “This could be caused by night owls’ tendency to have poorer sleep quality and to engage in unhealthy behaviors like smoking, late-night eating and a sedentary lifestyle.”

SOURCE: Night Owls Face Greater Risk of Developing Diabetes than Early Risers. Press Release. Endocrine Society. Apr 2015.

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