Telltale signs and what to do about them
It is no great secret that a good night's sleep makes us feel better the next day. We've all had nights where we've tossed and turned, and normally we feel groggy or downright moody come the morning. However, experts are now beginning to believe that it's not only the quality and quantity of the sleep itself that dictates how refreshed we feel the next day. Get this: the way that we think about our night's sleep may also play a role!
Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.
However, there is now an active area of research that suggests it is not only the quantity and quality of our sleep that dictates whether or not we feel refreshed.
Rather, the way that we think about our night’s sleep, both before and after it actually happens, may have a big influence on how tired we feel.
The idea that our mindset directly affects our sleep is nothing new. For decades, scientists have known that psychological processes are the main driver of insomnia.
Indeed, when we are in an elevated psychological state due to our thoughts, beliefs, and the way we focus our attention, our sleep is more likely to be disrupted.
However, increasing numbers of researchers are now turning their attention to a phenomenon often referred to as "paradoxical insomnia."
This phenomenon occurs when someone thinks they had a poor night’s sleep and feels fatigued, yet when their sleep is objectively measured it is within normal range.
Experts believe that one of the potential reasons for paradoxical insomnia is rigidly-held beliefs about the importance of sleep and how many hours we need to function.
According to the research, this could be more common than we realize. In fact, it could account for up to 66% of insomnia cases.
Indeed, if you ask your friends and family how many hours of sleep they need per night, they will likely respond quickly with an exact number of hours, or at least a small range.
This is hardly surprising: the US$78 billion-dollar sleep industry relies on people believing a certain amount of sleep is absolutely crucial.
However, there are a growing number of researchers challenging this idea and looking at sleep as something that should be dynamic and able to adapt to changing circumstances.
Let's now look at how changing our beliefs about sleep can help us get better shut-eye. Consider first that most insomniacs have very rigid beliefs about sleep.
They often believe they need a certain number of hours’ sleep in order to function the next day, and they may be very fearful, scared even, of a bad night’s sleep.
These kinds of thoughts can increase psychological arousal and anxiety at night, which in turn makes it more difficult to fall asleep.
However, these thoughts are not always factually accurate. Indeed, many insomnia sufferers believe they need more sleep than is realistically necessary.
For this reason, traditional insomnia treatments have focused on using cognitive behavioral strategies to try and shift this mindset.
Moreover, according to US-based sleep expert Jason Ong, it is not only the particular beliefs we have about sleep that can make it difficult to drift off.
Rather, it seems that the degree to which we hold on to those beliefs matters too; the more firmly we cling to our rigid thoughts about sleep, the more disruptive they become.
For this reason, Ong has focused his research on developing a mindfulness-based approach to help people detach themselves from these thoughts.
Research also shows that focusing too much on our sleep can make us feel more fatigued the next day, even if in reality we slept absolutely fine.
In one insomnia study, for example, participants were given sleep data that the researchers told them had been extracted from a smart device.
Half of the participants were told by the data that they slept well, and the other half were told they slept badly. In reality, however, the data was fake.
Studies like this would seem to suggest that simply changing our attitude towards the way we have slept, even if it doesn’t objectively change, can help us feel less fatigued.
This does not mean that we should all adapt a mindset of toxic positivity, of course. It is just about taking a more nuanced approach to sleep.
It's about understanding that even if your night of sleep wasn’t optimal, you can still go about your day and enjoy the things you usually do in life.
As with many things, taking a less black and white approach may help you both to get better sleep, and to feel better even when your sleep is not great.
Source: (BBC)
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It is no great secret that a good night's sleep makes us feel better the next day. We've all had nights where we've tossed and turned, and normally we feel groggy or downright moody come the morning. However, experts are now beginning to believe that it's not only the quality and quantity of the sleep itself that dictates how refreshed we feel the next day. Get this: the way that we think about our night's sleep may also play a role!
Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.