Environmental temperature as a mediator on the association between photoperiod at birth and chronotype.

The association between chronotypes and season of birth (SOB) remains an inconclusive issue due, in some extension, to the lack of investigations of mediation mechanisms. We evaluated the association of photoperiod at birth (PAB) with chronotypes and sleep duration in Brazil (n = 810), and the mediating effect of meteorological factors, sex, age and rs4753426 polymorphism in the melatonin receptor MTNR1B. Longer PAB was associated with a delayed mid-sleep phase with a suppressive effect of maximum environmental temperature.