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5 hidden benefits of sleeping in.

 

There are two types of people: early risers and those that prefer a bit of a sleep in.

Off the bat you know which category you fall into, there’s no middle ground here.

Those neat and eager early risers have been praised for decades as being more productive than their well-rested counterparts but, as it turns out, the extra hour or two of sleep might be more beneficial than first thought.

Watch the clip from Groundhog Day below. Bill Murray knows how you late risers feel. Post continues after video.

As an early-to-bed, early-to-rise kind of gal, the thought of waking up after 8am is a bundle of stress just waiting to happen.

But for those who like to burn the midnight oil, a study published by The Huffington Post says you might be more creative and intelligent.

Here are the 5 benefits of sleeping in late:

1. You’re more intelligent.

The study concluded that, “more intelligent children are more likely to grow up to be nocturnal adults who go to bed late and wake up late on both weekdays and weekends.”

This research is backed by the finding that those who stay up late are creating new evolutionary patterns than what was made by our ancestors. Hence they’re more progressive and have more ‘light bulb’ moments.

2. You’re likely to remain alert for longer.

Actor, Shia Labeouf.

If, like me, you wake up at 6am, you're usually in bed and asleep by 9:30 at the latest. But people of the night that wake around 9 or 10am are proven to remain mentally alert for longer hours.

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A 2009 study by the University of Liege in Belgium monitored 15 night owls and 16 early birds and measure their brain activity when they first woke up and then again 10.5 hours later.  They found that the early birds attention span dropped dramatically after that time compared to their late night counterparts.

3. You're more creative.

A study from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan found that creative types are also commonly night owls.

Lead researcher, Marina Giampietro, said late nights "may encourage the development of a non-conventional spirit and of the ability to find alternative and original solutions.”

4. You're less stressed.

As Elite Daily put it, it may seem that you're missing out on mornings, but early risers are actually missing out on most of the evening.

The BBC reports that a team in Westminser found "people who wake early have higher levels of the body's major stress hormone than those who like to sleep in."

They analysed the saliva of 42 volunteers and found those who woke up before 7:21am had higher levels of cortisol, the body's main stress hormone and their cortisol levels remained high all day.

5. You're in good company.

President of the United States, Barack Obama.

What's that? The leader of the free world is also a night owl? Yep. Barack Obama himself has admitted that he's privy to a sleep in or two.

In 2009, the POTUS said,  "I'm a night owl. My usual day: I work out in the morning; I get to the office around 9, work till about 6:30 p.m. have dinner with the family, hang out with the kids and put them to bed about 8:30 p.m. And then I'll probably read briefing papers or do paperwork or write stuff until about 11:30 p.m. Then I usually have about a half hour to read before I go to bed … about midnight, 12:30 a.m. -- sometimes a little later."

I think it's safe to say our alarm clocks will now permanently be off. And if your boss questions you, just say, "Obama made me do it." Guaranteed to work like a charm.