Health
Going to bed after this time could lead to poorer mental health, a Stanford study finds
Night owls might want to start turning in earlier.
A recent study by Stanford University, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, found that going to bed after 1:00 a.m. could lead to mental health issues.
Researchers analyzed the data of more than 73,000 adults in the U.K., looking into their chronotype (inclination to rise early or stay up late) and actual sleep timing.
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The study then examined the alignment between the two and the prevalence of mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders (MBN), as well as depression and anxiety.
People with a morning preference who go to bed early exhibit “better mental health” compared to morning types who go to bed late, the study found.
Overall, early birds seemed to have better mental health, according to a Stanford University research. (iStock)
Morning types who tend to go to bed late have an increased risk of MBNs, depression and anxiety.
People with an evening preference who sleep late were also found to demonstrate poorer mental health. Evening types who wake up early, conversely, have a lower risk of developing depression.
Based on these findings, the researchers recommended going to sleep before 1:00 a.m., regardless of preference.
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Study co-author Jamie Zeitzer, Ph.D., a professor at Stanford University’s department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in California, said he was surprised by the results.
“They were not what we expected at all,” he wrote in an email to Fox News Digital. “We spent more than a year trying to disprove our findings, but could not find an alternate explanation.”
“We had expected that night owls who stayed up late would be OK, but they ended up being at a greater risk for developing mental health disorders than night owls who went to bed earlier,” one researcher said. (iStock)
The researchers originally anticipated that individuals who aligned their actual sleep timing with their morning/evening preference would have the best mental health, Zeitzer noted – but this was not the case.
“Rather, we found that being awake late at night, irrespective of preferred sleep timing, was associated with worse mental health,” he said.
Good sleep is “crucial for establishing a pillar of good mental health,” according to Zeitzer.
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“It is not necessarily [the case] that bad sleep causes poor mental health, but it can definitely facilitate poorer mental health,” he said.
“There are several aspects of sleep that contribute [to mental health], including the duration (which we accounted for in our study) and the timing (which we directly examined in our study).”
Not getting enough sleep has been proven to compromise mental health, according to a sleep expert. (iStock)
While it might not be detrimental for all night owls to stick to their preferred nighttime sleep schedule, Zeitzer said, the research highlights that it presents a risk for some.
“We are not clear as to why this is the case, but it may have to do with the isolation that often accompanies such late-night behavior,” he said.
“So, being aware of how you are spending your late nights and whether these behaviors are conducive to good mental health is crucial.”
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Dr. Wendy Troxel, a Utah-based sleep expert who was not involved in the study, agreed that the findings are “very interesting” – particularly the fact that going to bed later is associated with poorer mental health regardless of one’s natural tendency.
“These findings underscore that sleep health is a multidimensional state,” Troxel said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“It’s not just about getting enough sleep or good quality sleep that matters, but the timing matters, too.”
“Going to bed excessively late on a regular basis may lead to impairments in decision-making and emotion regulation.”
Failing to get enough sleep has been proven to compromise mental health by “influencing brain mechanisms that help to regulate emotions,” she added.
“Going to bed excessively late (i.e., after 1 a.m.) on a regular basis may lead to impairments in decision-making and emotion regulation, which may underlie associations with mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety,” she said.
The study results are also interesting when applied to specific groups who tend to be night owls, like teenagers, Troxel noted.
“Biologically, teenagers are predisposed to stay awake later and sleep in later, which is in conflict with early school start times,” she said.
“This can set them up for a ‘double whammy’ of both insufficient sleep and delayed sleep schedules, which can contribute to mental health problems — a major public health issue among teenagers.”
Dr. Wendy Troxel, senior behavioral scientist for RAND Corporation, is the author of “Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep” and is also a scientific advisor for the Sleep Foundation. (Diane Baldwin)
3 critical steps for better sleep
Troxel recommends taking the following steps to improve the quality of sleep.
First, slowly advance bedtime earlier by 15-minute increments each week.
Next, allow for plenty of sunlight in the morning, she advised, as sunlight is “one of the most powerful cues to help set the circadian rhythm.” In the evening, keep the lights low.
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It’s important to stay consistent with sleep schedules, even on the weekends, one sleep expert advised. (iStock)
Finally, stay consistent with your sleep schedule, including on weekends, Troxel suggested.
While this can be challenging, especially for night owls, reverting to a later bedtime and wake-up times will “set you back to square one,” she warned.
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The key to successfully shifting sleep habits is to do it gradually, Troxel said.
“It’s similar to the approach we would recommend for changing one’s schedule to manage jetlag,” she said.
Being aware of how you’re spending your late nights is “crucial” to good mental health, one of the study researchers said. (iStock)
Zeitzer noted that it can be difficult for anyone to switch up their sleep schedules, especially for those who prefer more “extreme times,” like staying up until 4:00 a.m. or waking up before 5:00 a.m.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is the best way to successfully make a shift, he said, along with exposure to bright light.
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Former Attorney General Pam Bondi was diagnosed with thyroid cancer shortly after leaving the Department of Justice last month, according to a report.
Bondi, 60, who left her role at the Justice Department in early April, underwent treatment and is recovering, a source stated.
The thyroid is a gland located in the neck. It makes hormones that are then secreted into the blood, which help the body “use energy, stay warm and keep the brain, heart, muscles and other organs working as they should,” according to the American Thyroid Association.
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Thyroid cancer is relatively uncommon compared to other cancers. Even so, as of 2023, more than one million people in the U.S. are living with the disease.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) predicts that there will be an estimated 45,260 new cases in 2026.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi was diagnosed with thyroid cancer shortly after leaving the Department of Justice last month. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Risk factors and symptoms
While more common in women, thyroid cancer can affect both sexes. Those with a family history may be more likely to develop it, as well as those between the ages of 25 and 65. Exposure to radiation is also a risk factor, according to the National Cancer Institute.
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Signs of thyroid cancer may include lumps or swelling in the neck, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, hoarseness and pain when swallowing, per the above source. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention.
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If thyroid cancer is suspected, a doctor can diagnose it in several ways. A laryngoscopy is a procedure where the doctor checks the voice box with a mirror or laryngoscope — a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and lens, per NCI.
Signs of thyroid cancer may include lumps or swelling in the neck and trouble breathing. (iStock)
Blood hormone studies – where a blood sample is checked to measure hormone levels – can also reveal indicators of thyroid cancer. Ultrasounds and CAT scans are then used to check for tumors in the body.
Treatment options
Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy are the main ways doctors treat thyroid cancer. A new type of therapy, immunotherapy, is being tested in clinical trials.
“Surgery is the primary therapy, followed by regular surveillance and thyroid hormone replacement,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.
Bondi, 60, who left her role at the Justice Department in early April, underwent treatment and is recovering, according to a source. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
If the thyroid must be completely removed, patients will take hormones to replace the gland’s natural function.
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“Radioactive iodine is added in extensive or more aggressive cases,” Siegel said, but noted that it is “usually not needed.”
The thyroid gland is located in the neck. It makes hormones that are then secreted into the blood, which help the body use energy. (iStock)
Survival rates
The prognosis for thyroid cancer is generally positive and depends heavily on how the cancer responds to treatment, according to NCI.
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Some types are much milder and slower-growing than others. Doctors will also consider the stage of the cancer’s progression.
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The best-case scenario is when a surgeon can completely remove the tumor during surgery. Doctors will also factor in whether this is a brand-new diagnosis or if the cancer has returned after previous treatment.
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The American Cancer Society (ACS) has updated its guidelines for colorectal cancer screening.
The organization released the update in its flagship journal on Wednesday, noting that the new recommendations “re-affirm” that adults at average risk should be screened for colorectal cancer at age 45 and continue through 75, for those with a life expectancy greater than 10 years.
In addition to the standard colonoscopy, the ACS also recommends that patients receive a blood-based screening test in a doctor’s office, which is designed to detect tumor DNA in the blood.
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The ACS also suggested an at-home screening option that looks for hidden blood and molecular markers in stool samples.
These new guidelines reflect recent advancements in disease detection, as well as a “critical shift in public health strategy to expand screening options and lower barriers to access,” the ACS stated in a press release.
The ACS recommends blood-based testing and at-home stool sampling as options for colorectal cancer screening. (iStock)
Dr. Robert Smith, senior vice president of early cancer detection science at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the report, wrote in a statement that colorectal cancer should be emphasized as a “highly preventable disease as much as a treatable one.”
“By offering more screening tools in our guideline update, more eligible adults will be able to participate in lifesaving colorectal cancer testing, helping to close the screening gap and catch more cancers at an earlier, treatable stage,” he added.
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According to the ACS, colorectal screening “dramatically improves survival,” as studies show early-stage detection yields a five-year survival rate of more than 90% in the U.S.
About one in three American adults are eligible for colorectal cancer screening but have not been tested, although ACS research marks colorectal cancer as the top cancer killer of adults under 50.
Colorectal cancer is the top cancer killer of adults under the age of 50, according to the ACS. (iStock)
People at a high risk of colorectal cancer may need to begin screening before age 45 or be screened more often, the ACS added. Those over 85 years old should no longer be screened for colorectal cancer, per the guidelines.
Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the ACS, commented that “no matter which test you choose, what’s most important is to get screened, and that includes underserved, rural and minority populations.”
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These guideline changes follow a surge in colorectal cancer diagnoses in younger individuals. Recent ACS research revealed a 50% relative increase in diagnoses in adults aged 45 to 49 from 2021 to 2022.
Dr. Aparna Parikh, medical director of the Center for Young Adult Colorectal Cancer at the Mass General Cancer Center, who is not affiliated with the ACS, shared that experts don’t “entirely understand why” cases are on the rise.
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“But it seems to be an interplay of a person’s risk factors, overall makeup and early exposures,” she previously told Fox News Digital. “[Those] include dietary exposures, environmental exposures and possible antibiotic exposures, as well as lifestyle factors in the right host.”
Changes in bowel habits are the primary red flag that should raise the suspicion of colorectal cancer. (iStock)
Another recent ACS study found that drinking heavily and consistently over an adult’s lifetime could lead to a higher risk of colorectal cancer.
Other known risk factors include family history, obesity, smoking, a diet high in red and processed meats, inflammatory bowel disease, and a personal history or family history of polyps.
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While there may be no symptoms of colorectal cancer before diagnosis, especially in the early stages, certain symptoms should not be overlooked, experts say.
Dr. Eitan Friedman, PhD, an oncologist and founder of The Suzanne Levy-Gertner Oncogenetics Unit at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, confirmed to Fox News Digital that changes in bowel habits are the primary red flag that should raise the suspicion of colorectal cancer.
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Other symptoms include fatigue as a result of anemia, stomach pain or abdominal discomfort, rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, weakness and unexplained weight loss.
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