We all hear about the importance of sleep. But do you think you can beat the odds, skimp on sleep and keep your night owl lifestyle without any problem? If you do, you may want to read about this brand new research and maybe even make some changes to your current lifestyle. Turns out, being active in the day and sleeping at night can offer major health benefits.
Just Tuesday, the prestigious journal, The Lancet Psychiatry, published a study observing circadian rhythm and its impact on mood disorders, wellbeing and cognitive function.
The circadian rhythm is an individual’s sleep and wake cycle. And this study measured disruptions in the circadian rhythm of over 90,000 UK adults over a seven-day period. Participants ages ranged from 37 to 73.
The researchers defined circadian rhythm disruptions as being more active at night and/or less active in the day. And for those individuals with more disruptions in their daily rhythm, researchers observed bipolar disorder and major depression symptoms.
On top of these mental health symptoms, individuals with more disruptions reported feeling less well and also exhibited reduced cognitive function.
What is remarkable is that these results were consistent for participants regardless of age, sex, lifestyle and body mass index.
According to the study’s leading author, Dr. Daniel Smith, “What comes out of this work is that not only is a good night’s sleep important, but having a regular rhythm of being active in daylight and inactive in darkness over time is important for mental well-being.”
