People Who Sleep Less Than 8 Hours More Likely to Suffer Depression, Anxiety
A new study revealed that sleeping less than the recommended eight hours may increase risk of psychological disorders, particularly depression and anxiety. Inadequate sleep causes many different problems.
According to a research conducted by researchers from Binghamton University, inadequate sleep is linked to repetitive and negative thoughts. Aside from that, regular sleep disruptions are associated with difficulty in shifting one’s attention away from negative information. These negative thoughts are believed to leave people vulnerable to different types of psychological disorders, such as anxiety or depression.
These key findings are confirmed by Binghamton University Professor of Psychology Meredith Coles.
“We found that people in this study have some tendencies to have thoughts get stuck in their heads, and their elevated negative thinking makes it difficult for them to disengage with the negative stimuli that we exposed them to,” said Coles. “While other people may be able to receive negative information and move on, the participants had trouble ignoring it.”
Depression is a critical health issue that affects the way people feel, think and even act. Sufferers feel sad and lose interest in things that once intrigued them. Some of its more serious symptoms include loss of appetite, insomnia, lack of sleep, and even suicidal thoughts.
The Explanation
Based on the assessments of the study which involved evaluating the timing and duration of sleep in individuals with moderate to high levels of repetitive negative thoughts, the researchers discovered that inadequate sleep caused people to linger more negative emotions and information. This means that inadequate sleep is part of what makes negative intrusive thoughts stick around and interfere with people’s lives. The worst thing is, these intrusive thoughts put people at risk of depression and anxiety.
“We realized over time that this might be important – this repetitive negative thinking is relevant to several different disorders like anxiety, depression and many other things,” said Coles. “This is novel in that we’re exploring the overlap between sleep disruptions and the way they affect these basic processes that help in ignoring those obsessive negative thoughts.”
