A recent study demonstrates that a person’s self-assessment of their sleep quality is more influential on their overall well-being than the data gathered from sleep-tracking devices. This research revealed that the feeling of having slept well led to increased positive emotions and life satisfaction the subsequent day, irrespective of what the sleep tracker indicated.
The University of Warwick has conducted new research that shows that people’s own judgments about their sleep have a greater impact on their well-being than the objective measurements from sleep-tracking technology.
Over a 14-day span, over 100 participants, who were between the ages of 18 and 22, kept a daily record of their sleep. This log included information such as the time they went to bed, prepared to sleep, the amount of time taken to fall asleep, wake-up time, when they got up, and their overall contentment with that night’s sleep.
Throughout the following day, the participants were requested to gauge their positive and negative feelings and their life satisfaction on five different occasions. During the study, they also wore an actigraph on their wrists to approximate their sleep rhythms and rest cycles.
The researchers matched the actigraphy data with the participants’ self-assessment of their sleep and their feelings the next day. The intention was to understand how changes in regular sleep habits and quality correlated with mood and satisfaction in life on the following day.
Dr. Anita Lenneis, the main author of the study and a member of the University of Warwick’s Department of Psychology, noted: “The consistent connection was between how the youth judged their sleep and how they perceived their overall well-being and life contentment.”
She further exemplified that when participants felt they had slept better than usual, they exhibited more positive feelings and had a heightened sense of life satisfaction the next day. However, the actigraphy-based sleep quality measure, termed sleep efficiency, had no connection with the well-being of the next day.
“This reveals a disparity between actigraphy-evaluated sleep efficiency and an individual’s own judgment of their sleep quality in how they relate to a person’s assessment of their well-being,” Dr. Lenneis explained.
Professor Anu Realo, also from the University of Warwick, emphasized: “The significant factor in subjective well-being and especially life satisfaction is people’s self-evaluation of their sleep quality, not the sleep efficiency measured by actigraphy.”
In conclusion, the study indicates that having a positive outlook on your sleep might lead to an improved mood the following day.
Dr. Lenneis further commented, “Your sleep tracker might suggest poor sleep, but if you feel you slept well, it may enhance your mood the next day. Conversely, if the tracker shows good sleep but you don’t feel it, it may aid in a better understanding of your actual sleep quality. Information from a sleep tracker, which isn’t usually available during sleep, may enhance your subjective view of the previous night’s sleep and, consequently, your well-being the next day.”
Reference: “The influence of sleep on subjective well-being: An experience sampling study” by Anita Lenneis et al., 3 August 2023, Emotion.
DOI: 10.1037/emo0001268
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about fokus keyword sleep quality
What does the new study from the University of Warwick reveal about sleep quality?
The study reveals that individuals’ perceptions of their sleep quality have a more substantial impact on their well-being than objective measurements from sleep-tracking technology. It found that when participants felt they slept well, it led to increased positive emotions and life satisfaction the next day, regardless of the data from sleep trackers.
How was the research conducted?
The research was conducted over a two-week period with more than 100 participants aged between 18 and 22. They maintained a daily sleep journal and wore an actigraph to measure sleep patterns. Researchers compared this data with participants’ perceptions of their sleep and their feelings throughout the following day.
What is the significance of sleep efficiency as measured by actigraphy in this study?
The study found that the actigraphy-derived measure of sleep quality, known as sleep efficiency, was not associated with the next day’s well-being at all. It emphasizes the difference between actigraphy-measured sleep efficiency and people’s own perception of their sleep quality in how they relate to evaluations of their well-being.
How can one’s perception of sleep affect their mood and life satisfaction?
According to the study, when participants reported that they slept better than usual, they experienced more positive emotions and had a higher sense of life satisfaction the following day. Evaluating sleep positively may contribute to a better mood, even if sleep tracking devices say otherwise.
What are the implications of using sleep trackers versus self-assessment of sleep?
The study suggests that even though a sleep tracker might indicate poor sleep, a person’s own positive perception of their sleep quality may help improve their mood the next day. Conversely, sleep trackers can offer information about sleep that may enhance the subjective perception of last night’s sleep and overall well-being the next day.
What was the role of Dr. Anita Lenneis and Professor Anu Realo in the study?
Dr. Anita Lenneis, the lead author from the University of Warwick’s Department of Psychology, was instrumental in the study and its findings. Professor Anu Realo also contributed by adding insights into how people’s self-reported health and perception of sleep quality are significant factors associated with their subjective well-being and life satisfaction.
More about fokus keyword sleep quality
- The influence of sleep on subjective well-being: An experience sampling study
- University of Warwick’s Department of Psychology
