A research from Imperial College London reveals that going to bed after 1 AM significantly increases the risk of mental health problems, regardless of whether you’re a morning person or a night owl. By analyzing data from more than 73,000 participants in the UK Biobank, researchers discovered that people who regularly stayed up late had higher rates of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and several neurodevelopmental conditions. Even after adjusting for individual chronotypes (natural sleep preferences), crossing the 1 AM threshold consistently emerged as a key risk factor for poorer psychological and brain health. One of the most striking findings was that night owls fared the worst when following their natural late-night tendencies. While it was long thought that matching sleep schedules to one’s internal clock was ideal, this study suggests that the actual timing of sleep may be more important than previously believed. People who went to bed before 1 AM — especially early risers — showed the lowest risk, highlighting early bedtime as a powerful foundation for long-term mental resilience. [Stone, R. L. F., et al. (2024). Lark or owl? Late to bed is associated with poorer mental health regardless of propensity. Psychiatry Research]