Depression: Waking earlier

A May 2021 study at the University of Colorado Boulder and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard said, 

• "We have known for some time that there is a relationship between sleep timing and mood, but a question we often hear from clinicians is: How much earlier do we need to shift people to see a benefit?" 

• "We found that even one-hour earlier sleep timing is associated with significantly lower risk of depression."

• "Our genetics are set at birth so some of the biases that affect other kinds of epidemiological research tend not to affect genetic studies,"

• "We live in a society that is designed for morning people, and evening people often feel as if they are in a constant state of misalignment with that societal clock,"

• "Keep your days bright and your nights dark,”

• "Have your morning coffee on the porch. Walk or ride your bike to work if you can, and dim those electronics in the evening."

Exercise, depression, heart health

A June 2021 study by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences said,

• "Depression is common in patients with coronary artery disease. Having both conditions can have a significant impact on the quality of life for patients so it is vital that they access to the most effective treatments,”

• "Our study indicates that exercise is likely to be the best treatment for depression following coronary artery disease. Our findings further highlight the clinical importance of exercise as a treatment as we see that it improves not only depression, but also other important aspects of heart disease, such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, in these patients."

• "We continue to see emerging evidence of the importance of lifestyle to treat disease - in comparison to other treatments - but further high-quality research is needed. People with coronary heart disease who have symptoms of depression should talk to their doctor about treatments that are most suitable for their personal needs, and clinicians can be confident of recommending exercise to their patients."

Body clock, depression and wellbeing

A June 2021 study led by the University of Exeter said, 

• "We found that people who were misaligned from their natural body clock were more likely to report depression, anxiety and have lower wellbeing. We also found the most robust evidence yet that being a morning person is protective of depression and improves wellbeing.”

• “We think this could be explained by the fact that the demands of society mean night owls are more likely to defy their natural body clocks, by having to wake up early for work."

• "The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new flexibility in working patterns for many people. Our research indicates that aligning working schedules to an individual's natural body clock may improve mental health and wellbeing in night owls."