Study finds night owls have higher risk of depression, poorer sleep and less ‘awareness’ than early risers

New research has revealed the reasons behind why night owls might be at greater risk of depression. Researchers from the University of Surrey in the UK surveyed 546 university students to see if self-declared “early risers” or “night owls” were more prone to depression based on factors including sleep quality, alcohol consumption and mindfulness. They found, on average, night owls had much higher levels of depressive symptoms, experienced poorer sleep quality, had higher rates of alcohol use and acted with less “mindfulness” or “awareness” than early risers. While past research has shown night owls are more likely to have depressive symptoms than early risers, it’s the first time these factors have been explored as influences. “With many young adults’ experiencing poor mental health, these study findings are particularly important — many young adults tend to stay up late and the results point to how interventions could be implemented to reduce their risk of depression,” the researchers said.