Comparing the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and Munich ChronoType Questionnaire to the Dim Light Melatonin Onset
Open accessAbstract
The dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) is the most reliable measure of central circadian timing in humans. However, it is not always possible to measure the DLMO because sample collection has to occur in the hours before usual sleep onset, it requires staff support and considerable participant effort, and it is relatively expensive. Questionnaires that ask people about the timing of their behavior, such as their sleep, may provide an easier and less expensive estimate of circadian timing. The objective of this analysis was to compare the MEQ score derived from the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and the MSFsc derived from the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire (MCTQ) to the DLMO in the largest sample to date (N = 60). Our hypothesis was that MSFsc would correlate more highly with the DLMO than MEQ score. Our sample of 36 healthy controls and 24 patients with delayed sleep phase disorder ranged in age from 18 to 62 years. All participants slept at times of their own choosing for a week before the assessment of their DLMO. The DLMO correlated significantly with both the MEQ score (r = -0.70, p < 0.001) and MSFsc (r = 0.68, p < 0.001). A linear regression using MEQ, MSFsc, and age to predict the DLMO explained 60% of the DLMO variance. The strongest predictor of the DLMO was MSFsc (beta = 0.51, p = 0.001), followed by MEQ (beta = -0.41, p = 0.004), and age (beta = 0.26, p = 0.013). The beta values for MSFsc and MEQ score were not statistically different from each other. Nonetheless, around a 4-h range in the DLMO was observed at a given MEQ score and a given MSFsc, indicating that neither questionnaire should be exclusively used to time light or exogenous melatonin treatment, as this could result in the mistiming of these treatments relative to the DLMO, thereby potentially worsening circadian misalignment.
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The most reliable measure of circadian phase in the human master clock is dim-light melatonin onset (DLMO).
“Currently, the most reliable measure of circadian phase in the human master clock is DLMO (26).”
From Chronotype: Implications for Epidemiologic Studies on Chrono-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health (2019) · cites this paper as [26]
DLMO sampling procedures are burdensome in large-scale studies because they require a large set of resources and participant supervision.
“Such sampling procedures may be burdensome in the context of large-scale studies, because they require a large set of resources and participant supervision (26).”
From Chronotype: Implications for Epidemiologic Studies on Chrono-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health (2019) · cites this paper as [26]
The MEQ measures psychological preference for behavior but has been shown to correlate less with DLMO than measures of sleep timing obtained with the MCTQ in one study but not in another.
“The MEQ specifically measures the psychological preference for behavior but has been shown to correlate less with DLMO than measures of sleep timing obtained with the MCTQ in one study (34) but not in another (26).”
From Chronotype: Implications for Epidemiologic Studies on Chrono-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health (2019) · cites this paper as [26]
Correlations between MEQ and DLMO have not been investigated in larger samples of the population.
“To our knowledge, such correlations have as yet not been investigated in larger samples of the population (26).”
From Chronotype: Implications for Epidemiologic Studies on Chrono-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health (2019) · cites this paper as [26]
The MCTQ is known to provide data on social jet lag and has been reported to correlate better than the MEQ with biological measures such as DLMO in one study but not in another.
“To this end, the MCTQ is known to provide data on social jet lag and has been reported to correlate better than the MEQ with biological measures such as DLMO in one study (34) but not in another (26).”
From Chronotype: Implications for Epidemiologic Studies on Chrono-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health (2019) · cites this paper as [26]
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- Authors
- Kantermann, T., Sung, H., & Burgess, H. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Groningen (NL)
- Rush University Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Burgess, Helen J.
- Venue
- Journal of Biological Rhythms
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2015-08-04
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 449-453
- ISSN
- 0748-7304 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-4531
- PMC
- PMC4580371
- OpenAlex
- W2155675649
- Cited by
- 323
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 26 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 12.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Biological Rhythms (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Open access LMU (Ludwid Maxmilian's Universitat Munchen) (submittedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL083971)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (R01AT007104)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Keywords
- dim light melatonin onset, circadian timing, Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, chronotype, delayed sleep phase syndrome, questionnaire validity, circadian misalignment
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Chronobiology Phenomena, Circadian Rhythm, Female, Humans, Light, Male, Melatonin, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sleep, Time Factors, Reproducibility of Results, Linear Models, Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm, Young Adult
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