Other than the worm, the early bird apparently isn't catching much else as a study claims women who stay up late are more likely to have some extracurricular fun versus womenwho turn in early.
The study, conducted by the University of Chicago, found women who stay up late tend to take on the similar "risk taking" qualities that late-night men typically exhibit.
The same study also reveals "night owl" men have twice as many sex partners as those that call it a night early.
"Both female and male night-owls were more likely to be single than in long-term relationships than early morning individuals. Eveningness was associated with higher risk-taking in women but not in men; this association was not testosterone-dependent but mediated by cortisol," according to lead author Dario Maestripieri, in the department of Comparative Human Development, University of Chicago.
"Female night-owls had above average cortisol profiles and risk-taking tendencies more similar to those of males than to those of early-morning females."
As explained in the study, high levels of cortisol are typically associated with high energy and arousability, thus the tie-in with "risk-taking" according to the research.
Far less abstract conclusions, perhaps taken from the file marked "obvious findings," include Maestripieri's comments regarding the evolution of "night owl" traits, or as she explained, "from an evolutionary perspective, it has been suggested that the night-owl trait may have evolved to facilitate short-term mating, that is, sexual interactions that occur outside of committed, monogamous ,relationships."
"Being active in the evening hours increased the opportunities to engage in social and mating activities when adults were less burdened by work or child-rearing," states the study.
So, perhaps staying out for that one last drink on a Saturday night isn't such a bad idea after all, for both men and women. It might prove super beneficial for those married more than a few years. And maybe, just maybe, proves women are the strongest species after all.
