Study Shows Not Having a Regular Bedtime Affects You More Than You Think

If there's one thing we take for granted, it's sleeping. As kids, we took nap time for granted. And now, we've graduated to aimlessly scrolling social media feeds until late. Seriously, think about how irregular your sleep pattern is. (If it isn't, then lucky you.)

The thing is, having a regular sleep pattern is detrimental to our health. In fact, a new study says it's much more important than we think. Researchers from the University of Michigan found that thrown-off sleep patterns pose a higher risk of bad moods and depression.

The study's participants were 2,115 physicians whose sleep times and moods were measured over their first year of training. What researchers found was that those that had irregular bedtimes had lower moods and symptoms of depression.

"These findings highlight sleep consistency as an underappreciated factor to target in depression and wellness," says neuroscientist Srijan Sen. 

The lesson here is to prioritize getting enough sleep while maintaining a regular bedtime. So, avoid death scrolling, or a late-night scroll, on your phone at all costs.