Are you a night owl? If so, you might be more prone to depression. Researchers at the University of Surrey in the UK studied why night owls tend to be more depressed than early birds.
According to a new study, people who are accustomed to going to bed and waking up late experience symptoms of depression more frequently than those who rise early.
The study suggests the higher rates of depression may be linked to night owls’ poorer sleep, riskier behavior, and higher alcohol consumption.
“A late chronotype, known as a night owl, is a biological tendency to prefer evening activity, as well as going to bed and waking up later,” explained Simon Evans, a cognitive neurobiology lecturer who led the study, in an interview with BBC Science Focus. He added that “chronotype has a genetic basis, so being a night owl is a natural biological tendency.”
What Did the Researchers Discover?
Dr. Evans’ team asked 564 university students to fill out a questionnaire about their sleep patterns, mindfulness, alcohol consumption, levels of depression and anxiety, and tendencies to ruminate, particularly about negative situations or events.
The researchers found that a late chronotype was characteristic of about 50 percent of the young people in the study. According to Dr. Evans, this is concerning, “as having a late chronotype is associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and substance use.”
The study confirmed that night owls are at a significantly higher risk of developing depression compared to early birds. Additionally, those who prefer staying up late reported a greater tendency to ruminate.
Students with a late chronotype reported poorer sleep than early risers. The researchers suggested this could be due to “social jetlag,” where a person’s internal clock doesn’t match their daily schedule.
Dr. Evans said mental health among young people is a serious issue, so work and study schedules should be adapted to better suit night owls and help them get more sleep.
The team found no evidence that alcohol increased the risk of depression among the students who participated in the study. In fact, night owls who consumed alcohol were less depressed than those who abstained entirely.
The results of the study were published in the journal PLOS One.
