Is good mental health linked to early sleeping pattern? What does this research say?

Researchers have concluded that going to bed late at night can lead to increased chances of developing mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. Researchers have said that sleeping earlier than 1 am can lower the risk of developing mental health challenges. The study containing this research has been published in the journal Psychiatric Research. This has also led to previous research by Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Their topic of research was ‘Circadian Rhythm’. The researchers in the present case studied the sleeping behavior of 74,000 UK adults the compared this with the preferred sleep timing also known as chronotype.

Research:
Every-body has a natural inclination of sleeping at a particular time and this is known as chronotype. The researchers indicated that is important to stick to these timings. Staying up at night is not good for individuals. It is important to consider the research conducted by the team.


Senior study author Jamie Zeitzer who is also a professor at the Stanford University analyzed the sleep pattern of the subjects. 19,065 subjects identified themselves as morning subjects, 6844 as evening types and 47, 979 as somewhere in the middle. The research revealed that 20%-40% of the night owls who aligned with their chronotype were most likely to develop mental health related issues as compared to night owls who were following an early or intermediate sleep schedule.

The ancient wisdom of sleeping immediately after the sunset and rising with the Sun seems to be what this research has concluded.

Effects of sleeping after mid night:
Researchers stated that staying awake after mid-night can lead to increased risk of impulsive and harmful behaviors. Lesser sleeping hours and sleeping at odd times can lead to other physiological issues too. Further, experts have suggested between seven to nine hours of sleep every-day. Zeitzer has also advised the night owls to try and shift their sleeping time.

FAQs:

What could be a shortcoming of the above conducted research?
Dr Indira Gurubhagavatula pointed out that the subjects were all white males and the research had been conducted using a questionnaire. This may have overlooked the diversity factor as well as the need for a detailed response.

What has been the position of UK Labor party on the issue of mental health issues in the upcoming elections?
The party has criticized the incumbent government and promised to increase the spending on mental health. Stress, depress and anxiety account for 17 million lost workdays every year.