Exact time of the day and year when people feel at their best revealed after major study

PEOPLE really do feel at their best in the morning and during the summer, a study has confirmed.

And they “feel worst” by midnight day-to-day and in the winter months, it found.

The findings suggest the long-used mantra of “everything will be OK in the morning” may have a ring of truth.

Experts analysed data from 49,218 adults from the University College London Covid-19 Social Study, which followed them for two years from March 2020.

Factors such as age, health conditions and whether people worked were taken into account.

Happiness, life satisfaction and worthwhile feelings were all higher on Mondays and Fridays than on Sundays.

Happiness also rose on Tuesdays.

But there was no evidence that loneliness differed across days of the week.

The researchers suggested changes in mental health and well-being may be explained by physiological changes associated with the body clock.

The UCL team said: “For example, cortisol — a hormone that regulates mood, motivation and fear — peaks shortly after waking and reaches its lowest levels around bedtime.”

But Dr Feifei Bu, of UCL’s department of behavioural science, said the results could be skewed as those feeling better in the morning may be more inclined to engage with the survey at that time.

However, if validated, she said: “Mental health support services may consider adjusting resources to match fluctuating needs across the day, for instance, prioritising late-night availability.”