Study suggests sleeping less than 5 hours a night might raise depression risk

A recent study led by UCL suggests that consistently getting less than five hours of sleep per night may increase the risk of developing depressive symptoms.

The research, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, examined data from individuals with an average age of 65 and discovered a correlation between inadequate sleep and the onset of depressive symptoms.

The study involved the analysis of genetic and health information from 7,146 participants. It revealed that individuals with a heightened genetic inclination towards short sleep (less than five hours per night) were more prone to experiencing depressive symptoms over a span of 4-12 years.

Both insufficient and excessive sleep durations, as well as depression, significantly contribute to the overall public health burden and are influenced by genetic factors.

Additionally, the researchers identified a connection between extended sleep duration and the emergence of depressive symptoms. Participants who slept more than nine hours were 1.5 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms compared to those who maintained an average of seven hours of sleep.

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