A new study reveals that consistently getting less than five hours of sleep each night may increase the risk of depression.
For decades, researchers have studied sleep difficulties as a side effect of poor mental health.
But an analysis of 7,000 participants has now led scientists to say that poor sleep is likely to "precede symptoms of depression".
University College London experts said data indicates that people who get less than five hours a night are more likely to suffer.
“Using genetic susceptibility to the disease, we determined that sleep likely precedes symptoms of depression, rather than the other way around,” said lead author Odessa Hamilton.
The researchers used genetic and health data from 7,146 people who were in their 60s on average.
The analysis was based on people's genetic traits, rather than how long they actually slept each night.
Over the past few years, sleep academics have found that DNA abnormalities are linked to how much people sleep.
The results showed that people with a genetic predisposition to sleeping less than five hours were 2.5 times more likely to develop depressive symptoms over the next four to 12 years.
While adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep, children need between nine and 13 hours.
The study was published in the journal Nature Translational Psychiatry.
A Russian doctor explains how the "magnetic storm" affects human health
Internal medicine doctor Savinich Aliyeva said that magnetic storms can cause health problems
She added that a magnetic storm struck the Earth on October 18 and will soon be followed by other storms, which means that we must pay attention to our health. This came in an interview the doctor gave to the online newspaper “Moscow Region Today”.
She explained, "During a magnetic storm, symptoms such as insomnia, headache, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, and joint pain may appear."
According to the doctor, people react differently to this phenomenon, as some suffer from drowsiness, others suffer from psychological and emotional disturbances, and may suffer from panic.
She added that when these disorders occur, you should drink more pure water, taking into account the sleep and rest regime. In addition, it is not recommended to eat a lot of salty foods, as they confuse the nervous system.
It is noteworthy that scientists warn of a full wave of magnetic influences this October. In particular, from October 25 to 27, the strength of the magnetic storm will reach 5 degrees, and from October 29 to 30, its strength will reach 6 degrees. Experts identify these magnetic storms through the activity of the sun, which is now very high, and may have reached the maximum of the current solar cycle.