We all know that getting enough sleep has many benefits. However, it is not always easy to achieve the eight hours of sleep that experts recommend. But imagine if we told you that an extra 46 minutes was enough to feel better? A study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology reveals that a few extra minutes of sleep can have beneficial effects.
Numerous studies have highlighted the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation, ranging from impaired memory and cognition to DNA damage. Faced with these risks, many of us are scrambling to regain those lost hours of sleep. This need has given rise to a multitude of practical tips, supplements and other products touting their ability to solve insomnia problems.
So how can you feel better? An innovative approach
A team led by Alexander Do of Baylor University took an innovative approach to tackle this problem. This research, conducted as part of his senior thesis and supervised by doctors Michael K. Scullin and Sarah Schnitker, focused not on the negative consequences of lack of sleep, but on the benefits that can bring quality sleep.
“Alex has done an outstanding job in proposing a new thesis idea, which connects his two-year research in my sleep lab to a novel area that has the potential to significantly expand our knowledge of sleep,” Scullin said in a press release.
“This study is exciting because it enriches our understanding of the effects of sleep deprivation and prolongation on health, including variables related to the creation of thriving moral communities,” Schnitker added.
Conduct of the study
A group of 90 young adults, aged 18 to 24, were recruited and randomly divided into three categories: late bedtime, early bedtime, and usual sleep routine during the work week.
The late bedtime group had to go to bed at 2 a.m. and get up at 7:30 a.m., reducing their sleep time by 37 minutes on average compared to the group with the usual routine. The early-bed group, on the other hand, had to go to bed at 10:30 p.m. to get up at 7:30 a.m., gaining an average of 46 minutes of sleep compared to participants with a normal routine.
Participants were asked to keep a diary of their sleep habits throughout the week, while also being monitored with actigraphy using a smartwatch. At the beginning and end of the week, they completed questionnaires to assess their level of sleepiness. They also took cognitive tests.
The impact of sleep on psychological well-being
The authors explain in their article: “There is little research on the effects of positive sleep psychology. So we incorporated several common measures of resilience, thriving, and gratitude. »
These assessments were completed at the beginning and end of the study, with additional testing at the end. In particular, they asked participants to write about things for which they felt grateful. It turned out that very small changes in sleep habits could have a significant impact.
“We observed that individuals who increased their sleep duration by 46 minutes per night felt more resilient, grateful, fulfilled and found more meaning in their lives,” explains Scullin. In contrast, “those who reduced their sleep by an average of 37 minutes per night experienced a decline in their mood, resilience, fulfillment and gratitude. »
Sleep and prosocial behaviors
Sleep didn’t just influence the participants’ personal well-being. The authors also found that it promoted prosocial behaviors, such as donating to charity and engaging in community initiatives. These actions are likely to have much wider societal repercussions.
“It appears that sleeping more has more profound effects than just feeling more awake during the day,” says Scullin. Fortunately, according to the results of this study, even less than an hour of extra sleep could be enough to reap these benefits. And if you ask us, that’s starting to seem like a reasonable goal.
