Night Owls More Likely to be Smokers
01/11/10 10:00
New research has shown an interesting link between night owls - those who regularly go to bed late and dislike mornings - and the likelihood of being a smoker.
The research from the University of Helsinki, Finland, is to be published in the journal Addiction. The team led by Dr Ulla Broms studied identical twins. They found that night owls were more likely smoke than morning types.
This doesn't necessarily imply a direct medical or genetic connection between sleep patterns and incidence of smoking. The relationship is likely to be complex. For example night people are likely to be exposed to situations where smoking is the social norm and the stimulant effect of nicotine might be one of the things that keeps them up late at night.
The research from the University of Helsinki, Finland, is to be published in the journal Addiction. The team led by Dr Ulla Broms studied identical twins. They found that night owls were more likely smoke than morning types.
This doesn't necessarily imply a direct medical or genetic connection between sleep patterns and incidence of smoking. The relationship is likely to be complex. For example night people are likely to be exposed to situations where smoking is the social norm and the stimulant effect of nicotine might be one of the things that keeps them up late at night.