SLEEPLESS PEOPLE LIKELY TO SUFFER ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

Sleeping less than the recommended eight hours a night is associated with repetitive thoughts like those seen in anxiety or depression, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Binghamton University Professor of Psychology Meredith Coles and Jacob Nota assessed the timing and duration of sleep in individuals with moderate to high levels of repetitive negative thoughts. The research participants were exposed to different pictures intended to trigger an emotional response, and researchers tracked their attention through their eye movements.

The researchers discovered that regular sleep disturbances are associated with difficulty in shifting one’s attention away from negative information. This may mean that inadequate sleep is part of what makes negative intrusive thoughts stick around and interfere with people’s lives .

“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.

These negative thoughts are believed to leave people vulnerable to different types of psychological disorders, such as anxiety or depression, said Coles.

The researchers are exploring this discovery, evaluating how the timing and duration of sleep also contribute to the development or maintenance of psychological disorders. Their research could potentially allow psychologists to treat anxiety and depression by shifting patients’ sleep cycles to a healthier time or making it more likely a patient will sleep when they get in bed.