People Who Are Optimistic Tend to Sleep Better

An optimist is a person who is inclined to be hopeful and to expect good outcomes in life. A pessimist is someone who tends to expect poor outcomes in life. A recent study suggests that optimists may sleep better than pessimists.

Participants included 1,004 adults who took part in the Austrian Sleep Survey. The researchers used the Life Orientation Test-Revised to measure participants’ levels of optimism. Chronic insomnia was evaluated using the International Classification of Sleep Disorders. The researchers also evaluated health status, depression, happiness, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, stress symptoms, and anxiety.

Participants with the highest levels of optimism were older, healthier, happier, exercised more, and had a higher educational level. They also had a lower risk of insomnia compared to participants with the lowest levels of optimism.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Medical University of Vienna. It was published online ahead of print on July 8, 2020 in the Journal of Sleep Research.