The consequences of going to bed late, according to a study
Getting a good night’s sleep is a cornerstone of health. However, it’s not just how much sleep you’re getting that’s important, but when you get it as well.
Many people are in the habit of going to bed very late, either because their work schedule requires them to do so, because of studying, because of their circadian rhythm, or simply because their body has become accustomed to this practice.
People with such schedules are the exception rather than the rule, as most people tend to fall asleep earlier. A study by Stanford Medicine indicates that people who usually stay awake for much of the night pay a price for their lifestyle.
The price night owls pay
This study was led by Jaime Zeitzer from Stanford University and was published in the journal ‘Psychiatry Research’. It concluded that people who sleep late are more likely to suffer from mental disorders, such as depression or anxiety.
The research was based on a survey given to 73,880 individuals. These people’s chronotype was obtained; that is, the natural predisposition of each person to experience peaks of energy or moments of rest at different times of the day, varying from individual to individual.
READ ALSO: New Covid XEC variant: signs and symptoms
This chronotype was compared with their actual sleeping behavior, and the results were gathered from this data. The findings explain that going to bed very late increases the chances of suffering from mental disorders such as anxiety and depression by between 20% and 40%.
The results show that having a “normal” sleep schedule is the healthiest and most beneficial, since night owls (people who feel more active and awake at night and tend to sleep during the day) are also more likely to exhibit “harmful behaviors,” according to the journal that published the study.
Some of these behaviors include having suicidal thoughts, committing violent crime, alcohol and drug use, and overeating.
READ ALSO: Why coffee prices are skyrocketing in the US
Switching from being a night person to a morning person
“Getting sunlight in the morning and maintaining an earlier routine every day of the week can change your sleep patterns,” Zeitzer said.
However, once you have become accustomed to a nighttime schedule and staying awake at night, changing your chronotype is not easy. Getting our body used to the daytime rhythm is no easy task, something that Zeitzer himself admits, but trying to get a good night’s rest is worth the effort because of all its positive effects.
Several recent studies, including one presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual sleep sciences meeting, highlight that getting a good night’s sleep can improve gratitude, resilience, and thriving in adults.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends seven hours of sleep a night to maintain optimal health and productivity. Lead researcher Michael Scullin notes that while sleep deprivation exacerbates mental health issues, it has yet to be experimentally proven whether increasing sleep can improve positive aspects of life.