Sleep deprivation makes us less happy, more anxious: Study

Lack of sleep not only makes us tired but can also affect our emotional functioning decrease positive moods and put us at higher risk for anxiety symptoms according to a studyThe study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin synthesised more than 50 years of research on sleep deprivation and moodLead author Cara Palmer PhD of Montana State University said that the findings showed that more than 30 per cent of adults and up to 90 per cent of teenagers donrsquot get enough sleepldquoIn our largely sleepdeprived society quantifying the effects of sleep loss on emotion is critical for promoting psychological healthrdquo Palmer saidldquoThis study represents the most comprehensive synthesis of experimental sleep and emotion research to date and provides strong evidence that periods of extended wakefulness shortened sleep duration and nighttime awakenings adversely influence human emotional functioningrdquo she addedThe team analysed data from 154 studies spanning five decades with 5715 total participants In all those studies researchers disrupted participantsrsquo sleep for one or more nights In some experiments participants were kept awake for an extended periodIn others they were allowed a shorterthantypical amount of sleep and in others they were periodically awakened throughout the nightEach study also measured at least one emotionrelated variable after the sleep manipulation such as participantsrsquo selfreported mood their response to emotional stimuli and measures of depression and anxiety symptomsOverall the researchers found that all three types of sleep loss resulted in fewer positive emotions such as joy happiness and contentment among participants as well as increased anxiety symptoms such as a rapid heart rate and increased worryingldquoThis occurred even after short periods of sleep loss like staying up an hour or two later than usual or after losing just a few of hours of sleeprdquo Palmer said ldquoWe also found that sleep loss increased anxiety symptoms and blunted arousal in response to emotional stimulirdquoFindings for symptoms of depression were smaller and less consistent as were those for negative emotions such as sadness worry and stressOne limitation to the study is that the majority of participants were young adults the average age was 23 Future research should include a more diverse age sample to better understand how sleep deprivation affects people at different ages according to the researchersldquoThe implications of this research for individual and public health are considerable in a largely sleepdeprived society Industries and sectors prone to sleep loss such as first responders pilots and truck drivers should develop and adopt policies that prioritize sleep to mitigate against the risks to daytime function and wellbeingrdquo Palmer saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever