Positive thinking leads to good sleep, poor quality sleep is linked to negativity

Dr. Brahmanand Nayak

Do you have difficulties in sleeping? Several studies have proved that positive thinking and good quality sleep are associated. If you have a positive approach to life, you will get less sleep-related issues and will eventually sleep well. On the other hand, people who have a negative approach towards life tend to have sleep disturbances.

We are usually cranky when we have low quality sleep. Scientists have found that sleep deprivation makes you incapable of shifting your attention away from distressing stimuli. This means that negative thoughts will stay with you for a longer time when compared to people who have sound sleep at night. While occasional negative thoughts can be taken as normal behaviour, problems arise when we repeatedly have a negative thought.

Association between negative thoughts and sleep deprivation 

People who lack good sleep have negative thoughts because our brain can only function when we sleep. When we don’t sleep, our brain becomes stressed and unable to cope with emotions. You may be at an increased risk for mental health issues, like depression or anxiety if you are constantly or even compulsively lingering on thoughts that are distressing and negative.

While there are several factors like stress, anxiety, fatigue, etc that can lead to negative thoughts, but the first culprit is lack of sleep. Deprivation of quality sleep also contributes to negative thinking. Sleep disturbances or lack of sleep make it difficult to stop our mind from focusing on negative stimuli, whether it is stress or a reaction to people or events in our life.

What studies have found

Studies have found that there is a strong connection between positive thinking and sleep. A 2017 study done by Sleep Science and Practice found that people who thought positively and had more meaning and purpose in their life faced fewer sleep issues like sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome. About 823 older adults of average age 79, who participated in the study, agreed that they feel good when they think about what they have done in the past and what they intend to do in the future. 

The results showed a strong link between positive thinking and positive outlook and better sleep. It was found that the participants who felt their lives had meaning were seen to have 63% fewer chances of having sleep apnea and 52% less likely to have restless legs syndrome. The study concluded that the connection worked two ways. People who feel good about their life and think positively tend to be more proactive about maintaining good health, leading to exercising regularly, which is eventually linked to better sleep. 

Another study found that people who get poor quality sleep tend to be negative in their outlook. The study found that bad quality sleep or lack of sleep makes us feel sad and negative.

Effects of positive thinking on sleep

Think about how you feel after a good night’s sleep—energetic, happy and full of positivity. Good quality sleep gives your brain the time to solidify the memories and what you have learned during the day. Sleep also helps gives your brain the time to remove waste products from your brain cells. That is the reason you think positive the next day.

On the other hand, bad quality sleep or lack of sleep impairs the parts of our brain that control cognitive abilities and behaviour. Medical science shows that a person who is sleep-deprived shows reduced metabolism and less blood flow to multiple areas of the brain happens. That means our brain doesn’t get the necessary reboot time it needs every night to help us function at our best the next morning. Reductions in metabolism and blood flow are associated with difficulty in focusing, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, the problem in paying attention, short attention span, irritability, mood swings, depression, learning difficulties, and poor behaviour. And all these lead to negative thoughts.

What can be done?

It’s simple! To get good sleep we have to think positive, and to be positive, we need a good sleep. More sleep and good sleep may seem like a simple solution but it’s not always easy. So the first step is to find out the reason for any negative thought and address that. Address the reasons for the stress and anxiety you have in life. Cut out activities that interfere with sleep. Make sure get at least eight hours of quality sleep at night. So when you have adequate sleep you will wake up with positivity and stay relaxed the whole day, leading to quality sleep again at night.

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