Is there any worse feeling than waking up late? That moment you wake up realizing it’s way too light outside to be 7am, your alarm isn’t sounding but you can hear the hubbub of life outside your window and you know you’ve slept in.

It happens. Everyone the odd day where the simply do not wake up on time. Whether you slept through your alarm, or simply forgot to turn it on altogether, you will at some point experience the utter dread that comes with sleeping in. 

With your iPhone buzzing with messages from work, there is really no worse way to experience the light of day than with a swelling pit at the bottom of your stomach that drops the moment you wake up.

But why are more people inclined to sleep late? It seems we’re all willing to spend money getting ourselves a better nights sleep, investing in anything from mattresses with a dual layer of calico springs to Egyptian fine cotton and meditation tea candles – but we don’t seem to invest in helping ourselves get out of bed. It seems odd that some people are so alert and ready at 7am, while others don’t enter the real world until they’ve sunk 4 coffees and been awake for at least 3 hours.

Here are some facts you may not know about sleeping late…

People Who Sleep Late Are Actually Smarter And More Creative

Yep, it’s true. Sleeping in regularly may mean that you are actually a bit of a brain box. According to research published in The Huffington Post, people who tend to deviate from the “normal” sleep schedule are considered more intelligent. The research is supported by studies that suggest that those who create new evolutionary patterns of sleep, compared to those who stick with the normal patterns developed by our ancestors are the most progressive people.

People Who Sleep Are More Likely To Be Unhealthy

So while you may be cleverer, you’re probably going to die younger. Research suggests that people who tend to rise later are less likely to lead healthy lives. Starting off the day early can lead to increased productivity and focus throughout the day.  According to results from the study published by Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in ScienceDaily, one of the unhealthiest ways to kick off your morning could be delaying it. Those in the study who slept late went on to make more unhealthy decisions throughout the day: they ate more fast food, ate fewer vegetables and they weren’t as physically active. Bummer, right?

Sleeping In Means You’re Probably More Creative

If you’re consistently sleeping in, it’s probably because you’re up all night.  When asked, most night owls said that they feel that they are most creative when the rest of the world is sleeping. There’s something about the quietness of the night that apparently makes the creative juices flow, so if you’re a night owl, you’re probably more creative than other early risers.

You Can Blame You Mum And Dad

A little bit, anyway. While your sleep schedule preferences are largely innate, much of it is also simply down to habit. ‘Bedtimes’ are learned behavior, so your parent’s bedtime habits may have had more of an effect on your bedtime habits than you may have thought. So if you can’t get outta your bed in the morning, blame it on your mum. Why not?

We’ve Probably Got It All Wrong Anyhow

Research actually suggests that our modern sleep patterns may be highly unnatural anyway. It’s claimed that preindustrial and tribal societies slept in two four-hour shifts, with a two- to three-hour awakening in the middle. When people have experimentally been kept away from artificial lighting, they also adopted this same pattern. So the way we sleep today isn’t natural or what we would be doing were we not surrounded by unnatural lighting. Maybe you can use that excuse with your boss next time you’re half an hour late?