Do you suffer from a bad morning mood? Nonsense, according to experts

Many people claim not to be morning people, but according to a large-scale study of almost 50,000 participants, that may not be true at all. Instead of feeling lethargic and grumpy, your brain is actually at its sharpest in the morning. That so-called morning mood? Maybe it's time to question it once and for all.

Yentl Feenstra-Atefeh

01 Mar '25

Your brain at its best

The study, published in BMJ Mental Health, shows that your mental state is better in the morning than at any other time of the day. This has everything to do with your biological clock and the hormone cortisol. As soon as you wake up, this hormone peaks and gives your brain a natural energy boost. Think of it as a built-in pep talk that allows you to start the day full of fresh courage.

At night, the exact opposite happens: your cortisol level drops and your brain goes into overdrive, causing you to worry about the smallest things. Doubts about your career? Insecurity about your relationship? Regret about that impulsive purchase of shoes? Chances are you lie awake at night worrying about these things. But rest assured: it's not you, it's your hormones.

Another discovery

Another surprising conclusion from the study: people feel happier during the week, especially on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, than on Sundays. Huh? Apparently, a fixed routine makes you feel better, while the 'free' structure of the weekend can actually cause unrest.

The seasons also affect your mood. In winter, people feel more gloomy and stressed, while the summer months give a huge mental boost. More sun means more vitamin D, and that helps give your mood a big boost. So a glass of wine on the terrace not only tastes better because of the nice weather, but it actually makes you feel better.