Lack of sleep reduces positive emotions – Naturopathy naturopathy specialist portal
How too little sleep affects our emotions
Reduced sleep causes that people are less likely to develop positive feelings. In a current study, the Participants felt, for example, less joy and enthusiasm, if you slept less than normal.
In the current investigation, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), it was found that the reduction of nocturnal sleep has a negative impact on positive feelings, on the next day. The results were published in the English journal “Sleep”.
Research took place in a sleep laboratory
Most of the research on the topic of sleep are done in laboratories, but in the new study were examined in participants that slept at home. These people spent seven nights in your own bed, and slept as long as usual. On three mornings, a series of Tests was carried out. After that, the Participants slept for three nights, two hours less than normal, and on two mornings, the same Tests were completed again.
Sleep patterns of people are different
All people have different sleep patterns. The sense to allow Participants to sleep at home, was the fact that it resembles normal life as much as possible, the Team explains. In the Phase of sleep deprivation, the Participants went two hours later to bed than normal. Still, she had to get up at your usual time.
Morning Test of the responsiveness
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About one and a half hours after getting a Test was carried out. Over a period of 14 minutes Participating in the 365 different pictures have been shown with random letters on a computer screen. If the picture contained the letter X, they were asked to press a button. The image contained a X, had to do the Participating nothing special.
The responsiveness and accuracy were tested. The reaction time decreased as the Participants suffered from sleep deprivation, the error rate increased. It seems that people respond faster to a lower concentration to balance. As a result, the error rate increases, but says the research group.
What was the impact of shorter sleep over a longer period of time?
While the Participating sections with each day that they completed the Test after a normal sleep, better and better, achieved after a night with insufficient sleep every day worse results in terms of accuracy. It is known that sleep is important for Learning. It is possible that the observed results are related to this factor, the presumption of the researchers.
Questions about emotions had to be answered
In the second part of the test, the Participants answered a questionnaire to identify 20 positive and negative emotions. There are no clear differences in negative feelings were identified, however, there were significant differences in the positive emotions. After a night of reduced sleep, positive feelings were reduced. After three nights with less sleep, the positive emotions declined even more.
Less regular sleep than normal, influenced the feelings of
Less sleep causes more negative feelings occur. Instead, a flattening of positive emotions seems to be the case. Due to less sleep than normal, the affected people felt less pleasure, enthusiasm, attention, and fulfillment, reports the researchers.
Impact on mental health?
The results are quite interesting for the General health. However, the study has not dealt with the question of how long the lack of positive feelings continue after the sleep deprivation. The researchers plan therefore the duration to investigate this state of mind more accurately.
Consequences of an irregular circadian rhythm
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There are often reasons later to go to bed, nevertheless, affected persons have to get up usually by the next day early and go to work or, for example, the children in the Kindergarten. This contributes to the fact that people get too little sleep. The length of sleep is only a part of the overall picture, it is also important when the affected people to bed are gone. An irregular circadian rhythm can be worse than too little sleep, reported study author Ingvild Saksvik-Lehouillier, both from the University of Science and Technology.
Adolescents are particularly at risk
Adolescents have a greater need for sleep, and are a particularly vulnerable group. The use of the Internet and Smartphones leads to many of the test, which is why Adolescents go to bed late. Nevertheless, you need to get up the next Morning and go to school. Sleep deprivation can quickly become a Problem. Many young people have, especially during the exam period sleep problems.
Health effects of shift work
Long-term studies, which were carried out under Layer, which is to sleep over a long period of time little, had serious negative consequences on health, including a significantly increased risk for diseases such as cancer and Diabetes.
Signs of healthy sleep habits
Sleep is individual. Not all of us need to sleep every night for seven and a half hours. Some people like to stay up in the early hours of the morning, others love it, early in the Morning to get up. The most Important thing is how you feel. If you are in a good mood and awake when you get up, are the signs that your sleep habits work for you, adds Saksvik-Lehouillier. (as)