A new study suggests that the later your bed time the more likely you are to have negative thoughts during the day. More so the study actually suggests that a regular sleep pattern — with a respectable bedtime — is the best way to have healthy thoughts and a better disposition.
Earlier studies usually show that sleep disorders are associated with negative thoughts, but this study specifically focused on whether or not there is a link between negative thoughts and the time one goes to sleep.
The study was conducted by Meredith Coles and Jacob Nota, of Brigham University. The study leaders assessed 100 young adults who were asked to complete simple questionnaires as well as two computer-based tasks to better gauge the range of their negative thoughts. From there, the research team compared their responses with their sleeping habits.
For the study, data shows that the average bedtime was 1 am. Some went to bed much earlier (10 pm) while others went to bed at 5 am. When the researchers compared the types of thoughts they had, they noticed the connection between later bedtime and negative thoughts.
“If further findings support the relation between sleep timing and repetitive negative thinking, this could one day lead to a new avenue for treatment of individuals with internalizing disorders,” reports Coles, in a press release. “Studying the relation between reductions in sleep duration and psychopathology has already demonstrated that focusing on sleep in the clinic also leads to reductions in symptoms of psychopathology.”
Thus, the researchers believe that this shows enough evidence of a link between sleep behavior and mental health.
Nota adds “Making sure that sleep is obtained during the right time of day may be an inexpensive and easily disseminable intervention for individuals who are bothered by intrusive thoughts.”
