New research shows why "night owls" might be more likely to feel sad or depressed and what can help.
Do you stay up late at night? Do you feel most awake and alert in the evening? If so, you might be a "night owl." While staying up late works well for some people, research shows that night owls might be more likely to feel sad or depressed than "early birds" who wake up with the sun.
A new study published on March 19, 2025, helps explain why night owls might face a higher risk of depression. The good news is that the study also points to ways night owls can protect their mental health.
What Makes Someone a Night Owl or Early Bird?
Whether you're a night owl or early bird (what scientists call your "chronotype") isn't just about what you prefer. It's partly in your genes and changes as you grow up.
Most children are morning people. During the teenage years, many become night owls. This is why so many teens struggle to wake up for school! As people get older, they often start to wake up earlier again.
The study looked at 546 college students who were about 19 years old, an age when many people are natural night owls.
What the Study Found
The researchers discovered several important things:
Night owls had more symptoms of depression
Night owls had worse sleep quality
Night owls were less "mindful" in certain ways (more on this below)
Night owls drank more alcohol
The most important finding was that four main factors explained why night owls might be more likely to feel depressed:
Poor sleep quality (this was the most significant factor)
Being less aware of what they're doing in the moment
Having trouble putting feelings into words
Alcohol use
Why Sleep Matters So Much
Night owls often have trouble with sleep because their body's natural rhythm doesn't match school or work schedules. When night owls have to wake up early, they:
Don't get enough sleep
Feel tired during the day
Get less morning sunlight
May have more trouble managing their feelings
This creates a tough cycle. Being a night owl leads to worse sleep, which makes mood problems more likely. And the cycle continues.
The Mindfulness Connection
One of the most interesting findings was about "mindfulness." Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment without judging it.
The study found that night owls scored lower on two important parts of mindfulness:
Acting with awareness: This means paying full attention to what you're doing right now instead of going on "autopilot." Early birds were much better at this.
Describing: This means being able to put your feelings into words. When you can name your feelings, they often become less powerful.
Night owls might struggle with these skills partly because they're often tired during the day from not getting enough good sleep.
About Negative Thinking
The study also looked at rumination—the habit of thinking about the same negative thoughts over and over. Night owls did tend to ruminate more than early birds, but surprisingly, this wasn't the main reason they experienced more depression.
Night owls might ruminate more because they're more active late at night when people naturally tend to think about the day's problems.
The Alcohol Factor
The study found that night owls drank more alcohol than early birds. This makes sense since alcohol is often consumed at night when night owls are more active.
Interestingly, moderate drinking seemed to have a small protective effect against depression in these young adults. The researchers think this might be because drinking often happens in social settings, and having friends and social connections helps protect against depression.
However, heavy drinking is still linked to worse mental health over time.
Tips for Night Owls
If you're a night owl worried about your mental health, here are some things that might help:
Improve Your Sleep
While you might not be able to entirely change your night owl nature, you can work on getting better sleep:
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine.
Turn off screens before bed.
Make your bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortable.
Use dark curtains if you can sleep later in the morning.
Try a sunrise alarm clock that gets gradually brighter.
Practice Mindfulness
The study suggests that specific mindfulness skills could really help night owls:
Practice paying full attention to what you're doing.
Work on naming and describing your feelings.
Try simple meditation exercises.
Simple Mindfulness Exercises for Night Owls
Evening awareness practice: Take 10 minutes in the evening to entirely focus on a simple activity. This could be making tea, taking a shower, or just breathing. This helps build your "acting with awareness" skill during your natural alert time.
Feeling journal: Write down how you felt during the day before bed. Try to find the right words to describe what you feel. This will build your "describing" skill.
Body scan: If you wake up at night, instead of worrying about sleep, try to notice how each part of your body feels, starting from your toes and moving up to your
head.
Consider Evidence-Based Supplements
Some supplements may help night owls sleep better:
Melatonin
Often suggested for sleep problems.
It may help reset your body's clock when taken at the right time.
Best used with a doctor's advice
Usually for short-term use, not forever
4GreatSleep: A Helpful Option
Products like 4GreatSleep (www.4greatSleep.com) include several ingredients that might help night owls sleep better:
Magnesium: Helps relax muscles and calm the brain
L-Theanine: Helps you relax without making you sleepy
GABA: A brain chemical that helps you feel calm
Ashwagandha: May help manage stress that can make sleep harder
The good thing about products like 4GreatSleep is that they address different sleep problems that night owls often have—from the challenge of "turning off" an active mind to staying asleep all night.
Other Helpful Supplements
Vitamin D: Night owls may get less sun, which could lower vitamin D levels
B Vitamins: Help with energy and mood during the day
Valerian Root: An herb that can help you feel sleepy
Always talk to a doctor before taking any supplements. What works for one person may not work for another.
Be Smart About Alcohol
While moderate drinking might have some social benefits for young adults, too much alcohol can harm your mental health:
Pay attention to how much and why you're drinking
Find ways to be social that don't involve alcohol
Remember that night owls might be more likely to develop drinking problems
Work With Your Natural Rhythm When You Can
Instead of fighting against being a night owl:
Try to arrange your schedule to let you wake up later when possible
Plan your most challenging tasks for the afternoon or evening when you're most alert
Consider jobs and classes that fit better with later schedules
Talk to employers about flexible work hours when possible
Light Management
Light strongly affects your body's internal clock:
Get bright light in the morning, even if you wake up later
Consider using a light therapy box
Reduce blue light from screens in the evening
Try blue-light-blocking glasses at night
Night Owls at Different Ages
Being a night owl affects people differently as they age:
Teenagers
Teens naturally become night owls when school demands get harder. This creates problems with sleep, which may contribute to more depression during the teenage years. Some schools start later in the morning to help with this problem.
Middle-Aged Adults
As people reach middle age, most start to wake earlier. But those who stay night owls may have trouble balancing their natural rhythm with work and family responsibilities.
Older Adults
By older age, most people prefer mornings. This may partly explain why depression often decreases in healthy older adults.
How Others Can Help Night Owls
If someone you care about is a night owl:
Understand that their schedule isn't due to laziness—it's biology
Don't use negative words about their sleep habits
Support their efforts to sleep better
Understand that they genuinely struggle with morning activities
Help create quiet spaces for good sleep
Encourage mindfulness practices
For Students Who Are Night Owls
If you're a student who's also a night owl:
Choose afternoon and evening classes when you can
Be careful about scheduling morning commitments
Keep a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends
Use school resources to learn mindfulness
Find study groups that meet during your best hours
Explain your night owl nature to roommates
Ask for help if being a night owl seriously affects your schoolwork
The Bottom Line: Work With Your Body, Not Against It
For young adults—who are more likely to be night owls and face high rates of depression—understanding these connections can help protect mental health.
Being a night owl has some risks, but with this knowledge, you can take steps to feel better. Rather than fighting against your natural rhythm, try to work with it—improve your sleep where possible, practice specific mindfulness skills, and create environments that support your natural body clock.
The link between being a night owl and feeling depressed isn't set in stone. By improving sleep quality and building specific mindfulness skills, night owls can lower their risk of depression while still honoring their natural rhythm.
Note: This article is based on research published in PLOS ONE (March 2025) by Yatagan Sevim G, Law TY, and Evans SL. The study looked at people at one point in time rather than following them over time, so we can't be sure about cause-and-effect relationships.
