Sleeping an Hour Earlier Lowers Your Depression Risk

Created By RISC | 9 months ago

Last modified date : 9 months ago

Depression is an increasingly common condition. More and more people suffer each year and research into the issue is also growing.

Sleep is a biomarker for depression that researchers have studied for a long time. Extensive research has investigated the cycle's various characteristics. Circadian rhythm divides people into two groups: those who work best in the morning and in the evening.

Many studies have found that people who wake up late or work in the evening have a higher risk of depression. Data from a sample of about 840,000 people using sleep tracking devices for 7 nights published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry showed that with each 1 hour earlier the midpoint of sleep between bedtime and waking, the risk of depression fell 23%.

If you normally go to bed at 1 am, shifting to midnight reduces your risk of depression by 23%. Switching to 11 pm would reduce the risk by about 40%.

These studies show that changing our sleeping habits is critical. Only minor changes can improve emotional well-being and lower the risk of depression. Genetics influences the biological clock but lifestyle and environment also have an impact. Drinking caffeinated beverages in the evening, using a mobile phone before going to bed, and staying in a building with insufficient sunlight can all push back bedtime.

Begin the new year with new goals by changing these simple behaviors to improve your quality of life.

Story by Rungravee Roschuen, Senior Researcher, Neuroscience Research, RISC

References:
https://neurosciencenews.com/depression-wake-early-18513/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X19301599?via%3Dihub
https://www.psy.chula.ac.th/th/feature-articles/circadian-rhythm