Healthy living is not just exercising or following a good diet. How you sleep is also a significant part of that.
New research discovered a link between a higher risk of depression and disrupted sleep patterns. Apparently, getting to bed at a regular time is what our bodies really need!Â
Researchers explain how significant having a regular bedtime and unveils all their work and findings.
Here is what you need to know.
Sleep For a Better Life
For this research, the team used direct measurement of the sleep times and behaviours of 2,115 physicians with an average age of 27.
All the data was collected using sleep-tracking wearables, surveys, and smartphone apps.
The team’s findings
The team discovered that people with variable sleep patterns were more likely to experience bad moods and encounter more symptoms of depression.
Srijan Sen is a neuroscientist at the University of Michigan and part of the recent research. He released a statement, unveiling the genuinely intriguing findings:
“These findings highlight sleep consistency as an underappreciated factor to target in depression and wellness.”
On the other hand, sleeping more, getting up later, and going to sleep earlier seemed to improve the participants’ mood and behaviour.
More Significant Details
The recent research is based on a previous study that indicated neglecting our circadian rhythms can be ruining our mood a lot. It can also increase the risk of depression.Â
“Our findings aim not only to guide self-management on sleep habits but also to inform institutional scheduling structures,” explained Yu Fang, a neuroscientist at the University of Michigan.
Researchers will focus next on people that can’t control their sleeping schedule due to various work hours and other factors. This category also includes the parents of your children.
But that’s not all.
The team will examine, too, how different aspects of sleep hygiene, such as total sleep, bedtime, waking up time, affect wellbeing.