Researchers analyzed the sleep habits of thousands of individuals. Their conclusions are clear: there is a morning “golden hour” capable of positively influencing our optimism.
Taking care of your health also means taking care of your mental health and therefore your well-being. And the moment we open our eyes in the morning would have a much greater impact than we think on our morale precisely. A study conducted by researchers at the Faculty of Medicine in Izmir, Turkey, reveals an association between waking time and an individual’s overall happiness level. It’s astonishing.
In fact, everything comes from our internal clock. Our bodies are biologically programmed to operate according to a specific rhythm, called a “chronotype”, which determines whether we are naturally morning or evening people. This profile is largely dictated by our genetics: it is not a question of will, but of DNA. To understand its impact, scientists analyzed sleep patterns and assessed the level of well-being of 564 people using medical questionnaires. In the journal Chronobiology International, they explain: “Chronotype may be a powerful modulator of psychological well-being and modify it forcibly (editor’s note: for example, having to get up early to respect strict working hours even though you have a nocturnal schedule) could reduce the desired positive effect on mood and mental health.”
According to the results of the study, people known as “early risers”, between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., are the most likely to be happy in life. Conversely, people who were “late risers” (after 9 a.m.) systematically presented lower levels of happiness, with a greater risk of depression. The study specifies that 13% of the population would have a morning chronotype (early riser), 27% would have a nocturnal chronotype (late riser) and 60% (i.e. the majority) would be in the middle: their wake-up time is between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. with a bedtime around 11 p.m.
The researchers also point out that our profile changes naturally with age: if adolescents and young adults are biologically programmed to be late risers, the morning tendency naturally increases after the age of 40. So there’s no need to feel guilty if your schedules differ from those of your loved ones, your age and your genes dictate your needs.
What to do concretely? No need to revolutionize everything. Bringing your bedtime forward by an hour, if possible by avoiding screens in the evening, and giving yourself a real motivating reward as soon as you wake up are already two simple actions to help reset your internal clock. Also remember to expose yourself to sunlight first thing in the morning to send a clear signal to your brain. And perhaps, in the long term, these good habits will help you find a more fulfilling daily life.
