Less Sleep, More Mood Swings

The battle between night owls and early birds rages on. While people who prefer to stay up late may be more focused later in the day, recent evidence suggests they may also be more negative. In a study published in Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, scientists discovered that night owls were almost three times more likely than early risers and five times more likely than intermediate snoozers to suffer severe symptoms of depression. Even slight variations in sleep patterns appeared to drastically affect mood. While it seems plausible that shifting your sleep schedule may improve your mood, scientists have already discovered a gene responsible for causing some people to rise early and others to sleep late, regardless of what time the alarm goes off!