Women who wake up early keep the blues away

Women who wake up early as they get older are less likely to develop depressionthan those who love a lie- in, according to research.

Scientists say exposure to daylight affects a person's risk of becoming depressed, and women who wake up early have a 12 to 27 per cent lower chance.

A study of more than 32,000 women with an average age of 55 found those who describe themselves as evening or intermediate types are more likely to end up with the mental illness.

It is not a curse, however, and the scientists say people who like to sleep late can help reduce their risk by getting up earlier and seeing more daylight.

The research also found night owls are less likely to be married and more likely to live alone, be smokers, and have erratic sleep patterns — all of which could increase depression risk.

But the link between sleeping preference and depression still remains even when those factors are accounted for.

Women who wake up early are less likely to become depressed than those who consider themselves night owls, according to US researchers

The research was done by scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

It is the largest ever study of its kind and studied the effect of a woman's chronotype — what times a person prefers to sleep and wake up — on her risk of depression.

Researchers claim chronotype affects depression risk even when exposure to daylight and working schedules are taken out of the equation.

Depression thought affect one in ten people

“There might be an effect of chronotype on depression risk that is not driven by environmental to and lifestyle factors,” said lead study author and director of the university's sleep lab, Céline Vetter.

Depression is a common mental health problem.

Around one in ten people are thought to experience it at some point in their life, and it can cause people to feel upset and to lose interest in things they used to enjoy.

While it is normal to feel down from time to time, people with depression may feel unhappy for weeks or months on end.

Depression can affect anyone at any age and is fairly common — approximately one in ten people are likely to experience at some point in their life.