A new study throws cold water on beliefs that being a night owl is bad for you, and could actually result in a boost in cognitive function.

Night owls have long been told that staying up late and getting up later than “the norm” is not healthy, and results in less productivity. According to The Guardian, a new study is upending those notions. The studio was conducted by academics at Imperial College London and involved more than 26,000 people.

They found that those who stay up late and those classed as “intermediate” had “superior cognitive function”, while morning larks had the lowest scores.

As The Guardian points out, being a night owl has often been associated with more creative types, such as famous artists and musicians.

The study also demonstrated the importance of getting enough sleep, regardless of whether it was early or late, with seven to nine hours being ideal.

“While understanding and working with your natural sleep tendencies is essential, it’s equally important to remember to get just enough sleep, not too long or too short,” said Dr Raha West, lead author and clinical research fellow. “This is crucial for keeping your brain healthy and functioning at its best.”

“We found that sleep duration has a direct effect on brain function, and we believe that proactively managing sleep patterns is really important for boosting, and safeguarding, the way our brains work,” added Prof Daqing Ma, the co-leader of the study.

“We’d ideally like to see policy interventions to help sleep patterns improve in the general population.”