TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT: Sleepless in Brooklyn, and looking for love

August 30, 2012 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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It looks like Brooklyn has been pulling an all-nighter, and the dating website Chemistry.com feels our pain.

With Brooklyn ranked number five on a just-released list U.S. cities with sleepless singles, Chemistry.com is hosting a free Up All Night online event — tonight, starting at 9 p.m.

New and registered users will have full, free access to the Chemistry.com site from 9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30, and 6 a.m. Friday morning. Log in at www.chemistry.com/cp/upallnight.

Singles will be invited to take a personality test created by biological anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher, and meet other sleepless singles like themselves. After that maybe, just maybe, they can get a little shuteye.

Chemistry.com examined where its online members were most active between midnight and 6 a.m., and found that Brooklynites were burning the midnight oil in their quest for online love.

Ranking number one through four are Honolulu, Hawaii; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Nashville, Tennessee; and Scottsdale, Arizona.

Coming in after Brooklyn in positions six through ten are Long Beach, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Henderson, Nevada; Fresno, California; and Mesa, Arizona.

Why are singles staying up late in these places?

Dr. Fisher told the Brooklyn Eagle through the website’s spokesperson that “Honolulu has lots of tourists, so perhaps many of the locals who work in restaurants and cafes — and get home late — take advantage of this empty time to relax and seek love. Las Vegas never sleeps, so many dealers, hoteliers and entertainers probably also find these wee hours a perfect time to connect.

“Brooklyn is packed with young people who either work too hard or party hard with friends (or maybe a little of both),” she added.

While the study may not meet the highest scientific standards, the Centers for Disease Control confirms that sleeplessness is indeed becoming a public health hazard. People not getting enough sleep are more likely to suffer from diseases such as diabetes, depression and obesity (which might explain the need to be looking for a date online).

According to the CDC, the age groups suffering the most ill effects from lack of sleep are people between the ages of 18 and 25 and those over 65.