Going to bed late may be bad for us. It could shorten our life. A study in the UK looked at 430,000 adults between the ages of 38 and 73. Researchers compared the deaths of people who went to bed early to those who went to bed late. People who go to bed late were 10 per cent more likely to die earlier. People who sleep late were at a higher risk of health problems or an early death compared to people who sleep early and wake up early.

A researcher said working hours should change. He said this was a public health issue that we need to look at. He said people should start and finish work later in the day so they can sleep more. Late sleepers have a higher risk of mental problems, diabetes, and breathing problems. They also smoke, drink alcohol and take drugs more. Different sleeping patterns at weekends could also cause health problems for late sleepers.