There are only two sorts of sleepers in this world; early birds, who stick to their early-to-bed-early-to-rise schedule and then there are night owls, who have great energy in the evening and go to bed late.
But, pat yourself on the back if you are a morning person because you are less likely to have depression, according to a study.
According to a new study in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, people with a misaligned sleep cycle are more likely to have depression and anxiety.
The study used sleep statistics gathered from wrist activity monitors worn by more than 85,000 participants of the UK Biobank Study, which gathered in-depth genetic and health figures on more than half a million Britishers.
The health problems associated with being a night owl are likely a result of being a night owl living in a morning person’s world, which leads to disruption in their body’s circadian rhythms.
-Kristen Knutson, Sleep Specialist and An Associate Professor At Northwestern University Feinberg School Of Medicine
Defying our internal body clock appears to be highly associated with levels of depression and having a higher misalignment was associated with higher odds of depression. Although the strongest evidence is from shift workers, with some studies suggesting that these individuals have a higher prevalence of depression and lower well-being.
-Dr. Jessica Tyrrell, A Senior Lecturer At The University Of Exeter Medical School In The UK
One of the key findings of the study is that those who love getting up in the morning were less likely to have irregular sleeping schedule compared to the night owls.
If you are a morning person, then you are less likely to have depression and more likely to report higher well-being. This may in part be due to people who are morning people are less likely to have ‘social jet lag’.
-Dr. Jessica Tyrrell
So, are you a morning bird or a night owl?