Living organisms are governed by an internal biological clock known as the circadian rhythm, and as the Earth rotates every 24 hours, this clock aligns with the cycle of day and night. In a new study, scientists reveal that this process has a strong link to mental health. There’s a larger chunk of the genome dedicated to body clocks than previously realized, and those genes are linked to others that determine a person’s overall state of well-being.
In the paper, released Tuesday in Nature Communications, medical researchers explain that being a “morning person” or “evening person” is a behavioral consequence of a person’s underlying circadian rhythm, which is shaped by their genes. Some genes, they found, can even shift a person’s natural waking time by up to 25 minutes. In the study, they investigated whether these “chronotype” genes were associated with any genes related to mental health. They found that people who tend to wake up earlier are more likely to experience a greater sense of well-being and a lower risk of schizophrenia and depression.
https://www.inverse.com/article/52855-body-clock-circadian-rhythm-depression
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