I became an early riser over the time I made my major recovery from depression. Doubt it is cause and effect. But resetting your sleep cycle is an important part of managing depression...
"Our results show a modest link between chronotype and depression risk," notes lead study author Céline Vetter. "This," she adds, "could be related to the overlap in genetic pathways associated with chronotype and mood."
This is the biggest and most thorough study into the link between mood disorders and chronotype conducted to date. The team's findings are reported in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Vetter and team allowed for the impact of environmental factors, such as exposure to light and work schedule, on a person's sleep-wake cycle. Other risk factors for depression — including weight, level of physical activity, existing chronic diseases, and sleep duration — were also accounted for.
First, the researchers' analysis revealed that late sleepers/late risers are more likely to live on their own and less likely to be married, as well as more likely to have a smoking habit and to report irregular sleep patterns.
Then, even after accounting for possible modifying factors, the team saw that "early birds" had a 12–27 percent lower risk of depression than "intermediate type" participants.
Also, "night owls" had a 6 percent higher risk of developing this mood disorder than "intermediate types," though it should be noted that this risk increase is so mild it cannot be considered statistically significant.
According to Vetter, "This tells us that there might be an effect of chronotype on depression risk that is not driven by environmental and lifestyle factors."