The power of thought, sleep, and a positive sense of self.

Researchers have found that being overly focused on sleep can have detrimental effects. Instead, it’s more beneficial to simply feel like you’ve had a good night’s rest. For a positive mood, this feeling is more important than the actual quality of sleep.

Good Sleep and Thoughts About It

A team of researchers asked over 100 people aged 18-22 to keep a diary of their previous night’s sleep. Participants in the study recorded when they went to bed, how long it took them to fall asleep, and how satisfied they were with their night’s rest.

Five times throughout the following day, they were asked to rate their positive and negative emotions and how satisfied they were with their lives. Participants also wore an actigraph on their wrist, which measures a person’s movements to assess sleep patterns and rest cycles.

As noted by the Daily Mail, researchers compared the actigraph data with participants’ perceptions of their sleep and how they felt the next day. The results showed that those who simply felt they had slept well had a better mood the following day, even if the quality of their sleep was actually poor.

Positive Perception of Sleep Quality Matters More Than Reality

Lead author of the study, Dr. Anita Lenneis, pointed out that even if a sleep tracking device indicates poor sleep quality from the previous night, our own perception can be quite positive. According to her, the belief that you slept well can help improve your mood the next day.

The research team stated that their findings align with previous studies showing that people’s self-assessment of their health, rather than their actual health status, was a key factor related to life satisfaction. Therefore, it’s important to remember that your thoughts can significantly impact your well-being.