from University of Michigan
It is not surprising that not getting enough sleep can result in a bad mood or depression, but a study at the University of Michigan suggests irregular sleep schedules over time can have the same result. Information was gathered from medical students in their first year of residency training. All experienced long, intense work-day and irregular work schedules that changed from day to day. As expected, participants with the fewest hours of sleep showed symptoms of depression and foul mood, but so did participants with variable sleep schedules. The study highlights sleep consistency as an underappreciated factor to target in depression and wellness. A next target could be sleep-deprived parents of newborns.