A recent study took a look at how our sleep patterns—be it a night owl or early bird—interact with depression. The study is not clear on whether sleep habits cause depression, but it does point at an interesting correlation we wanted to share with you. If you or a loved one are experiencing symptoms of depression, please reach out for help. For those of you in the West Side Cleveland area, schedule an appointment with us. We’re here for you.
From Big Think:
A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research examined data from 32,000 nurses and found that women who woke up early were 12 to 27 percent less likely to develop depression compared to their late-waking colleagues. The data was obtained from the biannual Nurses’ Health Study, and it classified the women, whose average age was 55, as ‘depressed’ when they self-reported the condition, had been diagnosed by a physician, or were treating it with medication.
The researchers wanted to study how depression interacts with chronotype, which is when you tend to sleep and wake.
In casual conversation, people often describe chronotypes by saying they’re either an ‘early bird’ or a ‘night owl,’ though many fall somewhere between the two. In recent years, sleep expert Michael Breus has popularized a more detailed breakdown of chronotype that divides it into four broad categories—dolphin, lion, bear, and wolf—each of which describe times of day when people tend to be most alert.
The new study shows that chronotype, which is influenced partly by genetics, may cause depression in women—even after controlling for other factors like smoking and living alone.
“This tells us that there might be an effect of chronotype on depression risk that is not driven by environmental and lifestyle factors,” lead author Céline Vetter, told The Independent. “Alternatively, when and how much light you get also influences chronotype, and light exposure also influences depression risk.”
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