It's perfectly normal to be worried or anxious, but if you're having more negative thoughts, then perhaps you have sleep-or the lack of it-to blame.
In a recent study conducted by Binghamton University researchers, those who go to bed late at night and lack sufficient sleep are more likely to end up getting more worried than those who enjoy at least 8 hours of sleep per night.
The results of the study, which can already be viewed in Cognitive Therapy and Research, improper sleeping patterns including sleeping way late at night can actually lead to repetitive negative thoughts, which, in turn, make you worry some more.
The researchers also found out that these people are more than likely to dwell on the past and experience intrusive thoughts at any time of the day.
For the study, the team worked with around 100 young adults and students of the university who then answered a series of questions and two activities that had to be completed through a computer. These tasks are actually meant to determine how frequent or intense their negative thoughts were. They were also asked about their routines, whether they are more of a morning person or a night owl, as well as their sleeping cycle and schedule.
The researchers found out that it doesn't really matter if you are more active at night or in the morning. As long as you don't have enough sleep, you are more vulnerable to these negative or pessimistic thoughts.
Moreover, these types of thoughts and issues are often more common among people who have depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder).
The researchers therefore suggest that if you have any of these disorders or you're susceptible to them, one to the best ways to deal with them is by getting the right amount of sleep and minimize bad thoughts in the process.
