Going to bed at this time can increase loneliness and anxiety, new study finds

The time at night you go to bed could cause loneliness and anxiety, according to new findings. Research has found that those who prefer to go to bed later in the evening report poorer mental health and greater general loneliness.

The results of the study, which is due to be presented at the SLEEP 2026 annual meeting in the US, revealed that people with an evening chronotype - those who prefer to go to bed and wake up later - reported worse mental health, greater general loneliness, and heightened nocturnal loneliness. As reported by Study Finds, both types of loneliness play a significant role in the link between chronotype and mental health.

The findings show that those with later sleep schedules reported considerably higher levels of anxiety. Feeling lonely at night was found to help explain this connection.

Evening chronotypes tended to suffer greater nocturnal loneliness, which was subsequently linked to higher anxiety levels.

Once nocturnal loneliness was taken into account, the direct relationship between chronotype and anxiety was no longer significant, with the indirect effect through nighttime loneliness proving key - suggesting a crucial link between later sleep patterns to anxiety.

"People with later sleep patterns reported poorer mental health in part because they also experienced greater loneliness, including feelings of loneliness at night, and increased levels of anxiety," said lead author Alec Harlow, a researcher at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

"The findings suggest that both daytime and nighttime social experiences appear to be relevant when examining mental health among evening chronotypes."

Chronotype describes a person's natural inclination towards sleep and wake timing, and evening types – those who favour later sleep and wake times – may be more susceptible to social misalignment with conventional schedules.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, sleep is vital to good health, requiring sufficient duration, high quality, appropriate timing and regularity, alongside the absence of sleep disturbances or disorders.

The study recruited 442 participants via the online research platform Prolific.

Those taking part completed an online survey measuring chronotype using the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, nocturnal loneliness using the Nocturnal Loneliness Scale, and anxiety using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Anxiety Short Form.

A structural equation model was then employed to determine whether nocturnal loneliness acted as a mediating factor between chronotype and anxiety.

Harlow noted that the results highlight loneliness – and nocturnal loneliness in particular – as a potential area for intervention amongst evening types.

He said: "Evaluating and addressing loneliness, including the challenges that arise at night, such as anxiety, may represent a meaningful intervention target for therapists, clinicians, and researchers to improve the well-being of people with later chronotypes.”

If you are experiencing anxiety, the NHS says you should speak to your GP if: