Research
Could an erratic sleep schedule be harming your mental health?
The Brief
- A large study led by UC San Francisco and UC San Diego links irregular sleep-wake schedules to more severe anxiety, depression and loneliness.
- The reported association covers people with erratic sleep-wake patterns, who may show more severe symptoms of these conditions.
- The source reports an association and does not establish that irregular sleep causes these symptoms.
Why it matters
Sleep regularity may be a measurable factor linked to mental health, which could matter for how clinicians and researchers think about sleep patterns alongside mood and social well-being.
Who’s affected
- people with irregular sleep schedules
- researchers and clinicians studying sleep and mental health
People with irregular sleep-wake schedules may experience more severe symptoms of anxiety, depression and even loneliness, according to a large study led by UC San Francisco and UC San Diego.