We have good news for those who see the glass half full. Optimists sleep better and better than pessimists, according to a new study. In other words, there is a definite link between your attitude towards life and your sleep quality.
We knew that sleep deprivation and sleeplessness were linked to depressive moods and negative thinking. So could this relationship work the other way around?
Without the need for scientific data, we can say the following theoretically; When we sleep well and adequately, we wake up with a better mood and start the day much more positive. At the end of a good day, we go to bed in a good mood and again fall asleep easily and have a good and quality sleep. This cycle is optimistic and happy and lasts forever as long as we spend our days well. However, here the situation arises whether the egg comes from the chicken or the chicken from the egg. So do we sleep well because we are optimistic or do we sleep better because we are optimistic? Although there is no definite answer, it is clear as day that optimism and sleep affect each other.
Examining the effects of optimism on many different health problems at the University of Illinois, Prof. In her latest study, Rosalba Hernandez examined the relationship between people's outlook on life and their sleep quality.
In the study conducted with 3500 subjects, in the first place, the participants were presented with negative and positive statements and were asked whether they agreed with these statements or not by point system. For example, “I feel good about my future” , “Thinking ahead worries me.” They were asked to rate statements like 1 to 5 points. In addition, the subjects reported their sleep experience, such as their sleep duration, sleep quality, the way they fell asleep, and how they felt when they got out of bed, twice a year for five years. The sleep of a small part of the subjects was monitored with scientific instruments at certain periods.
According to the results of Hernandez's study, subjects with high optimism had 78% better sleep quality than pessimists. In addition, the optimistic side has almost no complaints of fatigue during the day and problems with falling asleep.
According to Hernandez, the reason for this result is stress. Pessimistic people are unable to balance their stress levels because of the pressure they exert on themselves. In other words, optimistic people can reduce the pressure on themselves by managing stressful situations better. Thus, when they go to bed at night, they fall asleep more comfortably and sleep better because their anxiety level is lower.
If you're having trouble sleeping or complaining about your sleep quality, you may want to reconsider your way of thinking and outlook on life. Of course, we are not saying that if you have a negative mindset, everything will turn rosy when you snap your fingers, of course, but there are things you can do to try to be more optimistic by managing stressful situations better. The shortest and most effective way is to start meditation. You will see that a mind training that you can start even by taking just 5 minutes a day, which will help reduce anxiety and tension, will soon start to change your perspective.
