Sleep against depression

Adolescents who go to bed earlier are less likely to have problems with depression than their peers who stay up late into the night.

Scientists from the Medical Center at the American University of Columbia studied the behavior of 15.500 young people between the ages of 12 and 18.

They found that one in 15 adolescents has depression and that those adolescents who went to bed after midnight had a 24 percent higher chance of developing depression than their peers who went to bed before 10 o'clock.

Scientists also found that less than five hours of sleep is associated with a 71 percent higher risk of developing depression compared to eight hours of sleep.

Commenting on the results of the research published in the professional journal "Sleep", the leader of the research, Dr. James Gengwisch, said that a good sleep that lasts long enough could be a prevention for the development of depression.

For those who already have symptoms of depression, experts suggest using relaxation techniques, exercising and eating regular healthy meals with large amounts of fruits and vegetables.