There is already strong evidence that going to bed at regular times is important for healthy living, in addition to how many hours of sleep we are accumulating in total. A new study has now found a link between disrupted sleep patterns and an increased risk of moodiness and depression.
In a survey involving the direct measurement of sleep times and mood of 2,115 doctors over their first year of training, scientists found that those with varying sleep patterns were more likely to report lower moods and score higher. for depression symptoms in questionnaires.
Variable sleep times were, in fact, as likely to increase the risk of feeling depressed as much as overall lack of sleep – suggesting that staying in sync with our circadian rhythms is just as important to our mental health as registering good health. number of hours of total sleep.
“These findings highlight the consistency of sleep as an underestimated factor in achieving depression and well-being,” said neuroscientist Srijan Sen of the University of Michigan.
With an average age of 27 and working during a demanding first year of training, the doctors involved in this study are not representative of the general population – but the group did give scientists the opportunity to study a large number of people in general similar to the situation over several months.
As expected, sleeping more in total, getting up later and going to bed earlier – as well as following a more controlled sleep pattern – all tended to improve the mood of the participants. What may not have been well documented before is the importance of regular sleep standards are in relation to these other factors.
Data were collected through the use of wearables to track sleep, smartphone apps and surveys with volunteers. When it comes to wearables, although they may not be as accurate for sleep tracking as laboratory instruments, they allow scientists to monitor the habits of many people at once, over a long period of time, without interrupting their activities daily. activities (and hours of night sleep).
“Advanced wearable technology allows us to study behavioral and physiological factors of mental health, including sleep, on a much larger scale and with more precision than before, opening up an exciting field for us to explore,” says neuroscientist Yu Fang, from the University of Michigan.
“Our findings are aimed not only at guiding self-management on sleep habits, but also at informing institutional programming structures.”
While we can all agree that better sleep habits are good for our overall health, the team behind the new study wants to see more research on how different aspects of sleep hygiene – bedtime, time to wake up, sleep patterns, total sleep – affect well-being individually.
The new study supports previous research that suggests that ignoring our circadian rhythms can be harmful to our mood and increase the risk of depression over time. Try to keep the same time to go to bed and get up for a long time if you can – this can improve your mood and your outlook.
Next, the researchers want to turn their attention to other groups of people who may not necessarily have complete control over when they go to bed, when they wake up and how many hours of sleep they sleep – like parents of young children, for example.
“I also wish my 1 year old son could learn about these discoveries and just wake me up at 8:21 am every day,” says Fang.
The research was published in npj Digital Medicine.