Lack Of Sleep Can Cause More Anxiety And Reduce Positive Emotions

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JAKARTA - Lack of sleep not only makes a person feel tired and dizzy, but can also have a broad impact on mental health, such as reducing positive attitudes and increasing the risk of anxiety symptoms, according to a study in the journal American Psychological Association.

In the study, researchers such as the Medical Daily broadcast, driven from ANTARA, Thursday, March 28, local time studied data from 154 studies over 50 years, with a total of 5,715 participants. These participants experienced sleep disturbances for one night or more. The research team then studied three forms of sleep less, namely maintained for a long time, shorter than usual sleep duration, and maintained regularly throughout the night.

Analysis shows that all three types of sleep shortages are associated with fewer positive emotions, such as joy, happiness and satisfaction, as well as increased symptoms of anxiety such as a rapid heartbeat and worry.

"This happens even after lack of sleep in a short time, such as staying up one or two hours slower than usual or after a few hours of lack of sleep," said study author from Montana State University, Cara Palmer.

However, the symptoms of depression and negative emotions such as sadness, worry, and stress that have been observed are less and less consistent. The limitation of this study is the lack of age diversity because the majority of participants are young adults. According to Palmer, the implications of this research on the health of individuals and society are enormous in the midst of people who are mostly sleep deprived, such as first aid officers, pilots and truck drivers.

"A policy that prioritizes sleep must be developed to mitigate risks to function and welfare during the day," Palmer said.