The Relationship of Sleep Duration, Chronotype and the Risk of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/69ymgj60Keywords:
Sleep Duration, Chronotype, Depression, Meta-AnalysisAbstract
Depression is one of the greatest health challenges worldwide, and sleep is a major influencing factor in depression. This meta-analysis aimed to systematically integrate existing evidence by analyzing 34 observational studies from five electronic databases. Results revealed that short sleep duration (OR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.61–1.97), long sleep duration (OR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.02–1.34), neutral chronotype (N-type) (OR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.06–1.51), and evening chronotype (OR=2.09, 95% CI: 1.64–2.68) were associated with an increased risk of depression. Specifically, short sleep duration and evening chronotype were more significantly associated with the risk of depression. This meta-analysis demonstrated that both short and long sleep durations, and evening chronotype are associated with an elevated risk of depression. Due to substantial heterogeneity among studies, the evidence base remains limited. Future research should employ standardized methods, longitudinal designs, and investigate contextual factors to clarify underlying mechanisms.
Downloads
References
[1] Ferrari, A.J., et al., Global variation in the prevalence and incidence of major depressive disorder: a systematic review of the epidemiological literature. Psychol med, 2013. 43(3): p. 471-81.
[2] Patel, V., et al., Addressing the burden of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders: key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition. Lancet, 2016. 387(10028): p. 1672-1685.
[3] Malhi, G.S. and J.J. Mann, Depression. Lancet, 2018. 392(10161): p. 2299-2312.
[4] Roenneberg, T., et al., Chronotype and Social Jetlag: A (Self-) Critical Review. Biology (Basel), 2019. 8(3): p. null.
[5] Richardson, G.S., The human circadian system in normal and disordered sleep. J clin psychiat, 2005. 66 Suppl 9(null): p. 3-9; quiz 42-3.
[6] Wittmann, M., et al., Social jetlag: misalignment of biological and social time. Chronobiol int, 2006. 23(1-2): p. 497-509.
[7] Adan, A., et al., Circadian typology: a comprehensive review. Chronobiol int, 2012. 29(9): p. 1153-75.
[8] Liu, B.P., et al., Depressive symptoms are associated with short and long sleep duration: A longitudinal study of Chinese adolescents. J affect disorders, 2020. 263(null): p. 267-273.
[9] Matsushita, M., et al., Sleep duration and its association with sleepiness and depression in "ronin-sei" preparatory school students. Asian j psychiatr, 2014. 9(null): p. 61-6.
[10] Kjørstad, K., et al., Circadian preference in young adults: Associations with sleep and mental health outcomes from a national survey of Norwegian university students. Chronobiol int, 2022. 39(11): p. 1465-1474.
[11] Benasi, G., et al., The role of social support in the relation between chronotype and mental health in a cohort of women from the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network. Chronobiol int, 2024. 41(3): p. 447-455.
[12] Stroup, D.F., et al., Meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology - A proposal for reporting. Jama-Journal of the American Medical Association, 2000. 283(15): p. 2008-2012.
[13] Moher, D., et al., Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. Plos Medicine, 2009. 6(7).
[14] Hidalgo, M.P., et al., Relationship between depressive mood and chronotype in healthy subjects. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2009. 63(3): p. 283-90.
[15] Um, Y.J., et al., Association of changes in sleep duration and quality with incidence of depression: A cohort study. J Affect Disord, 2023. 328: p. 64-71.
[16] Jing, R., et al., Longitudinal Association Between Sleep Duration and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Elderly. Nat Sci Sleep, 2020. 12: p. 737-747.
[17] Chen, R., et al., Sleep duration and depressive symptoms in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: The moderating effects of grip strength. J Affect Disord, 2023. 339: p. 348-354.
[18] Li, C., et al., Sleep duration change from childhood to adulthood and adult depressive disorders in the Chinese population. Sleep Med, 2022. 100: p. 128-132.
[19] Lemke, T., et al., Associations between sleep habits, quality, chronotype and depression in a large cross-sectional sample of Swedish adolescents. PLoS One, 2023. 18(11): p. e0293580.
[20] Dong, L., Y. Xie, and X. Zou, Association between sleep duration and depression in US adults: A cross-sectional study. J Affect Disord, 2022. 296: p. 183-188.
[21] Chen, X., et al., Relationship between sleep duration and sociodemographic characteristics, mental health and chronic diseases in individuals aged from 18 to 85 years old in Guangdong province in China: a population-based cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry, 2020. 20(1): p. 455.
[22] Zhang, X., et al., Associations of sleep duration, daytime napping, and snoring with depression in rural China: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 2023. 23(1): p. 1530.
[23] Ouyang, P. and W. Sun, Depression and sleep duration: findings from middle-aged and elderly people in China. Public Health, 2019. 166: p. 148-154.
[24] Yong, Z., et al., Different correlation between depressive symptoms and sleep duration on weekdays/weekends among adolescents in Taiyuan, North China. J Affect Disord, 2024. 358: p. 79-88.
[25] Sakamoto, N., et al., Bedtime and sleep duration in relation to depressive symptoms among Japanese workers. J Occup Health, 2013. 55(6): p. 479-86.
[26] Wang, S., et al., Interaction between sleep duration and trouble sleeping on depressive symptoms among U.S. adults, NHANES 2015-2018. J Affect Disord, 2024. 351: p. 285-292.
[27] Luo, Y., et al., Symptoms of depression are related to sedentary behavior and sleep duration in elderly individuals: A cross-sectional study of 49,317 older Chinese adults. J Affect Disord, 2022. 308: p. 407-412.
[28] Zhou, T., et al., The associations between sleep duration, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms: An analysis of Chinese adolescents from China Family Panel Studies. J Affect Disord, 2022. 319: p. 252-259.
[29] Lin, S., et al., Sleep duration is associated with depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. J Affect Disord, 2023. 340: p. 64-70.
[30] Gao, Y., et al., Association between Nocturnal Sleep Duration and Insomnia symptoms with depressive symptoms among 44,900 Chinese Han adults aged 30-79 in Southwest China. BMC Psychiatry, 2023. 23(1): p. 127.
[31] Andishmand, Z., et al., Is Sleep Duration Associated With Depression and Anxiety? A Cross-Sectional Study on Medical Students in Iran. Sleep Medicine Research, 2023. 14(4): p. 200-206.
[32] Zhang, X.F., et al., [Relationship between sleep duration and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly people in four provinces of China]. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi, 2021. 42(11): p. 1955-1961.
[33] Anujuo, K., et al., Association between Depressed Mood and Sleep Duration among Various Ethnic Groups-The Helius Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021. 18(13).
[34] Wu, F., S.R. Chen, and Y. LI, Correlation between sleep time and depression in middle-aged and elderly people in China. Journal of Hubei Medical University., 2023. 42(05): p. 551-554+560.
[35] Qu, Y., et al., Association of chronotype, social jetlag, sleep duration and depressive symptoms in Chinese college students. J Affect Disord, 2023. 320: p. 735-741.
[36] Li, T., et al., Chronotype, Sleep, and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese College Students: A Cross-Sectional Study. Front Neurol, 2020. 11: p. 592825.
[37] Koo, D.L., et al., Association between morningness-eveningness, sleep duration, weekend catch-up sleep and depression among Korean high-school students. J Sleep Res, 2021. 30(1): p. e13063.
[38] Zhou, J., et al., Chronotype and depressive symptoms: A moderated mediation model of sleep quality and resilience in the 1st-year college students. J Clin Psychol, 2021. 77(1): p. 340-355.
[39] Norbury, R., Chronotype, depression and hippocampal volume: cross-sectional associations from the UK Biobank. Chronobiol Int, 2019. 36(5): p. 709-716.
[40] Chang, W.W., et al., Correlation between sleep-wake circadian rhythm and anxiety,depression among medical students in Wuhu in 2020. Health Research., 2022. 51(03): p. 417-422.
[41] Mao, B., et al., Associations of chronotype with anxiety, depression and insomnia among general adult population: A cross-sectional study in Hubei, China. J Affect Disord, 2024. 351: p. 250-258.
[42] Randler, C., et al., Relationship between depressive symptoms and sleep duration/chronotype in women. Journal of Individual Differences, 2012. 33(3): p. 186-191.
[43] Merikanto, I., et al., Circadian preference links to depression in general adult population. J Affect Disord, 2015. 188: p. 143-8.
[44] Lv, Q.Y., et al., Longitudinal study on the correlation between circadian rhythm type and depressive mood in college students. Journal of Chongqing Medical University., 2021. 46(10): p. 1163-1169.
[45] Kim, S.Y., et al., Mediation analysis of chronotype, sleep-related factors, and depressive symptoms among workers: a cross-sectional study. Ann Occup Environ Med, 2023. 35: p. e47.
[46] Kim, K.M., et al., Sex differences in the association between chronotype and risk of depression. Sci Rep, 2020. 10(1): p. 18512.
[47] van Dalfsen, J.H. and C.R. Markus, The influence of sleep on human hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity: A systematic review. Sleep Med Rev, 2018. 39: p. 187-194.
[48] Walker, M.P. and E. van der Helm, Overnight therapy? The role of sleep in emotional brain processing. Psychol Bull, 2009. 135(5): p. 731-48.
[49] Ouyang, M., et al., The association between sleep duration, bedtime, and cognitive ability in Chinese adults: Evidence from the China family panel studies. Heliyon, 2024. 10(9): p. e30009.
[50] Bedrosian, T.A. and R.J. Nelson, Timing of light exposure affects mood and brain circuits. Transl Psychiatry, 2017. 7(1): p. e1017.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Education and Humanities

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.







