Lack of sleep can cause dark ideas

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QMI agency

Sunday, February 25, 2018 16:43

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Sunday, February 25, 2018 16:44

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Sleep less than eight hours per night could generate ideas black, shows a study done at the University of Binghamton, in the State of New York.

To achieve this result, the researchers recruited 52 volunteers who are already struggling with dark thoughts that had, for example, a strong trend in this direction, or to be anxious.

During the study, subjects were presented with neutral images and negative images, while the movement of their eyes was being monitored closely. The researchers then observed that the participants who reported having sleep problems had more difficulty in detaching their attention from negative images than the other.

“We have found that people who tend to have dark ideas and negative thoughts, had difficulty to detach from stimulus negative to which we were exhibiting. While other people are able to get information negative and deal with it, the participants found it hard to ignore them”, explained the head of the study, Dr. Meredith Coles, psychology professor, in a press release published by the University of Binghamton.

Since the lack of sleep seems to amplify the phenomenon, the researcher believes that the psychologists and therapists who work with people suffering from depression or anxiety disorders could seek to improve the sleep of their patients.

Dr. Coles wishes to push further his research in evaluating how the duration of sleep may affect the development or maintenance of psychological problems.