Shifting your sleep by just 1 hour could help you evade this mental health condition

Getting proper sleep is absolutely essential for maintaining mood and emotional well being; sleep has a direct effect on almost every type of mental health disorder.

There’s good news, though: new studies show that people who go to sleep earlier and rise earlier appear to have a reduced risk of depression. Aiming for a consistent sleep schedule may especially help night owls ward off depression.

In May, a JAMA Psychiatry genetic study of 840,000 people found that those with genes linked to early rising were less likely to become depressed. Just one month later, another study published in Molecular Psychiatry suggested that simply remaining consistent in relation to your working schedule can be enough to evade any social jetlag that can come with sleeping irregular hours.

So what does this mean for night owls? It depends. Night owls who tend to work late into the evening might already be following a healthy sleep schedule. But, unless you’re working a grave shift or regularly take on overtime hours, chances are good that you’ll benefit from shifting your bedtime and alarm clock a couple of hours earlier.

Below, we spoke to our own set of sleep specialists. If you’re struggling to get up in the morning these stats might push you to start getting up for that morning coffee a little earlier.

How many hours of sleep do you need?

The recommended amount of sleep is 7-9 hours for most adults, however, according to the CDC 1 out of 3 people is getting enough sleep.

“Going to bed earlier is the first step to getting quality shut eye,” explains Shannon Dolan, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Corporate Wellness Consultant in Austin, Texas. “The body runs off of it’s natural circadian rhythm which is synced up day and night.”

Ideally, cortisol levels are at their highest in the morning and drop in the evening. Going to bed closer to when it starts to get dark out can enhance your sleep by signaling the production of melatonin.

How can night owls ward off depression?

Most people are aware that they need a certain amount of sleep but don’t give themselves enough time to settle into bed and fall asleep, especially night owls who go to bed way too late to get adequate sleep. For instance, a person who needs 8 hours might not realize that they need at least 8.5 – 9 hours in bed to achieve 8 total hours of sleep. Thus, it’s beneficial to go to bed earlier in order to guarantee you achieve enough total sleep time.

“Going to bed earlier and waking up earlier increases your daylight exposure. Getting enough sunlight is essential for keeping our circadian rhythm, our 24 hour internal clock, well regulated,” explains Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, Ph.D., Sleep Specialist & Neuroscientist.

“Science has shown that people with well regulated circadian rhythms fall asleep faster and get better quality sleep. Having a well functioning circadian rhythm is also essential for maintaining your mood and mental health.”

Does sleep consistency affect mood?

“Getting enough high quality sleep is absolutely essential for maintaining your mood and mental health,” says Dr. Rohrscheib.

“Clinical studies have shown that people who are under sleep are at a greater risk of poor mood, developing a mood disorder like anxiety and depression, and have worse treatment outcomes.”

According to  Dr. Rohrscheib, lack of sleep makes the brain less efficient at dealing with stress and stressful situations. We also release more of the stress hormone, cortisol, when we are sleep deprived. Stress itself is a major contributor to insomnia and lost sleep, causing a snowball effect that can eventually lead to the development of a mental health disorder.

“It may take some time to be able to fall asleep earlier at first, but as long as the lights are off or dimmed and you are in a relaxed state you are enhancing your body’s ability to fall asleep,” adds Dolan.