This lifestyle habit leads to premature death, new study reveals

Are some behaviours in life more risky than others? Undoubtedly, yes. If you don't do any sport, if you eat and drink any and everything, neglect your sleep and rest in general, it's pretty clear that your health is going to be affected. A Finnish study, summarized by CNN, recently pointed at a particular habit that could lead to premature death.

Night owls could be more at risk of premature death

While there are many things you do that tend to damage your health, such as smoking, not doing any exercise or eating too much sugar or fat, it's also important to know which habits can also be harmful. And in this game, there's one that's more deadly than the rest. Night owls, who live in a world of partying and excess, are more likely to die prematurely than those who go to bed early and thrive in the morning.

The explanation offered by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health lies not in the difference in working hours, but in working practices. Generally speaking, when people who live at night have fun, they 'take the risk of having a high consumption of tobacco and alcohol.' We need to look at this habit in terms of what it does to your body.

Read more:Here is what happens to your body when you finish a drink in one go: 'Bottoms up!'

Having a regular sleep schedule is essential

CNN reports that to carry out this study, the Finnish experts exhumed almost 9,000 records of deceased people and compared their 'educational level, use of alcohol, smoking, the level of body mass, and sleep duration', and came up with an alarming initial assessment. They found that night owls had a 9% higher risk of premature death than those who went to bed early. The alcohol and smoking associated with this lifestyle are not the only reasons for the initial results of this study.

A night-time lifestyle has a considerable long-term impact on your sleep schedule. And an exhausted body is not a healthy body. This staggered lifestyle also delays breakfast and the peak of fitness during the day. Finally, the study states that night owls need more insulin to get the energy they need, as reported by CNN.

Night owls were also more likely to be insulin-resistant, meaning their muscles required more insulin to be able to get the energy they need, the study showed.

Read the results of the study in the online journal Chronobiology International.

Read more:This is what can happen to your body two days before you die

This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

Chronobiology International: Chronotype and mortality - a 37-year follow-up study in Finnish adults

CNN: Night owls may have unhealthy habits that lead to early death, study says