Scientists have explained the link between late sleep and anxiety
People with a late chronotype — those who are used to going to bed and waking up later than most — are significantly more likely to experience anxiety and loneliness, including at night. Nighttime loneliness turned out to be the key mediator between late sleep and anxiety. This was reported on June 2 in the journal Medical Xpress.
"People with late sleep patterns reported poorer mental health in part because they experienced greater loneliness, including at night, as well as increased levels of anxiety," said lead author Alec Harlow.
442 people participated in the study. Participants were assessed by chronotype, level of nocturnal loneliness and anxiety using standardized questionnaires. The structural equation method was used to study the relationships between these indicators.
The analysis showed that nighttime loneliness is a key link linking the late chronotype with anxiety: when this factor was taken into account in the calculations, the direct relationship between evening sleep patterns and anxiety ceased to be statistically significant, while the indirect effect — through nighttime loneliness — remained significant.
"Assessing and eliminating loneliness, including nighttime anxiety, can be a significant area of work for therapists, clinicians, and researchers dealing with people with late—onset chronotype," Harlow noted.
On March 22, Popular Science magazine reported on the chronotype's connection with health. According to the publication, a person's sleep pattern and productivity depend not so much on habits as on the biological characteristics of the body. The scientists emphasized that a regular sleep schedule, sufficient rest time, and activity planning during peak productivity periods help reduce stress levels and avoid burnout.
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