Health · Mental Health · 3 hrs ago
Late sleeping and weekend schedule shifts may be linked to a type of depression
Neurologist Conrado Estol said some sleep patterns may be linked to depression during a discussion in Argentina.
He described people who sleep late, wake tired and sharply shift their schedules on weekends as a possible subgroup with depression linked to circadian rhythm.
This rhythm regulates the body's sleep and wake cycles.
Estol said insomnia can occur without depression, but sleep is altered in all forms of depression.
He cited figures that about 5% of the world’s population has depression, while only one in three people is diagnosed, with diagnosis taking six to eight years on average.
For people who wake at night, he advised avoiding screens and trying meditation or breathing exercises to return to sleep.
Neurologist Conrado Estol said sleeping late, waking tired and making extreme changes to sleep schedules on weekends may be linked to a circadian-rhythm-related form of depression.
He described circadian rhythm as regulating sleep and wake cycles.
Estol said insomnia can occur without depression, while sleep disruption is present in all forms of depression.
He cited research involving 12,000 people in which almost 3,000 had features different from more usual forms of depression.
He said about one in four participants had what he described as a different form of depression associated with circadian rhythm.
- Who
- Neurologist Conrado Estol discussed the issue.
- What
- He said late sleeping, waking tired and sharply changing sleep schedules on weekends may be linked to a circadian-rhythm-related form of depression.
- When
- Infobae published the article on October 28, 2026.
- Where
- The discussion took place during Estol’s weekly column on Infobae al Mediodía.
- Why
- Estol said circadian rhythm regulates sleep and wake cycles, and may be altered in a subgroup of people with depression.
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- Study participants
- 12,000 people
- Different depression features
- Almost 3,000 participants
- Circadian-rhythm-related depression
- About one in four participants
- Global depression prevalence
- 5% of the world's population
- Diagnosis
- One in three people with depression is diagnosed
- Average diagnosis delay
- Six to eight years
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What people are saying
One in four, more or less, had a depression different from the usual kind: circadian rhythm.
A person can have insomnia and not have a mood problem, not have depression. But in all depressions there is a sleep disturbance.
5% of the world's population suffers from depression.
Only one in three people with depression is diagnosed. Diagnosis takes an average of six to eight years.