“Larks” tend to be happier than “owls” and more protected from depression. This is demonstrated by a new study on sleep, published in the Journal of Molecular Psychiatry, according to which night owls experiment more mood disorders and are at greater risk for anxiety.
The researchers, led by Jessica O’Loughlin of the University of Exeter, suggest that the benefit of someone genetically programmed to be an early riser may be due to the fact that the company is set for “larks”, with a standard working hours ranging from 9 to 17.
The team drew on previous research that mapped 351 genes linked to being an early riser or night owl, and used a statistical procedure called ‘Mendelian randomization’ to determine whether these genes were randomly linked to seven different mental health conditions, including major depression. Data collected by the British Biobank was used.
The researchers also developed a new definition of the «Social jetlag», which measures the change in sleep patterns between work and off days, and calculated it in over 85,000 UK Biobank participants for whom sleep data was available, via wrist-worn monitors.
“We found that people out of alignment with their natural biological clock were more likely to report depression and anxiety and a lower level of well-being,” explains O’Loughlin. “We also found solid evidence that being a morning person protects against depression and improves well-being. We think this can be explained by the fact that, to meet the needs of society, night owls are more likely to challenge their natural biological clocks, having to wake up early to go to work ». Early risers, on the other hand, are more likely to be aligned with their natural rhythm and not have to disrupt their circadian rhythms. A misaligned biological clock, however, can have serious long-term consequences.
“The Covid pandemic,” added senior author Jessica Tyrrell, of the University of Exeter, “has introduced new flexibility in working patterns for many people. Our research indicates that aligning schedules with the natural biological clock can improve mental health and increase the level of well-being in night owls. “
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