Sleeping less than 5 hours increases the risk of depression

The study suggests that lack of sleep is what leads to depressive symptoms, not the other way around

The link between insufficient sleep and mental health problems is well known, but it’s difficult to know which problem tends to emerge first. Now, scientists have found evidence that consistently sleeping too little at night may be a precursor to developing depressive symptoms.

“Using genetic susceptibility to the disease, we determined that sleep likely precedes depressive symptoms, and not the other way around,” said study author Odessa Hamilton of University College London.

The chicken or the egg?

The researchers analyzed the genetic and health data of 7,146 people recruited from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. According to them, both sleep duration and risk of depression can be considered partially genetically inherited problems. Previous research has shown that depression is about 35% inherited and that genetic differences explain 40% of variations in sleep duration.

When study participants were followed over time, researchers found that people genetically predisposed to poor sleep (less than five hours a night) were more likely to develop depressive symptoms over four to 12 years. On the other hand, people with a genetic predisposition to depression were not more likely to suffer from sleep problems.

More than 10% slept less than 5 hours

Overall, study participants slept an average of seven hours a night. More than 10 percent slept fewer than five hours a night at the beginning of the study period, which rose to more than 15 percent by the end of the study period, and the percentage of participants experiencing depressive symptoms increased from about 9 % to 11%.

People who slept five hours or less were 2.5 times more likely to develop depressive symptoms, while people with depressive symptoms were a third more likely to have short sleep patterns. The results were published in the journal Translational psychiatry of nature.

The findings could present a grim outlook for those already struggling with sleep disorders. However, the researcher reminds that insufficient sleep or depression are not inevitable, even for those with these hereditary tendencies. The findings highlight the importance of sleep for good mental health.

The researchers’ advice is to avoid sleep procrastination and give priority to rest. “There is a common saying in genetics that genes load the gun and environment pulls the trigger,” Odessa reported. In other words: You may have a genetic predisposition to having a mental health disorder, but you can take action to mitigate your risk.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.