Fifty years of sleep research emphasize its impact on mood, well-being

Humans have been balking at the idea of getting enough sleep since they were…

Humans have been balking at the idea of getting enough sleep since they were born. Newborns are famously fussy; teens prefer TV and phones; adults prioritize work or fun; and no one is busier than a toddler at bedtime.

Now, once more, we’re reminded that getting enough sleep is good for you — and this time, it’s with 50 years of research to cement the message.

That’s right — the new study from researchers in Texas distilled decades of research on the effects of sleep deprivation and mood. In short, losing sleep does much more than make you nod off at work. It can also heighten your feelings of anxiety, put you in a worse mood and entirely undermine how your emotions function.

Even the smallest sleep deficit can reap a terrible reward in the form of how we react to everyday events, interactions and feelings. There is no beating around the bush: Data analyzed from more than 150 studies and 1,500-plus [fifteen-hundred-plus] participants almost unequivocally point to the havoc that extended wake periods and small sleep windows wreak on humans’ emotional functioning.

People who experienced sleep deprivation across a number of studies felt fewer “happy” feelings and seemingly made up for it with an increased heart rate and more rumination.

And, while anxiety increased, researchers noted that stimulation in response to emotional stimuli was dulled.

Currently, about 30% of adults get less sleep than they need. For teens, the number is a staggering 90%, according to the study.

In some cases, environmental obstacles and life stages may play a role — but the study drives home a point we all know but could stand to be reminded of: Sleep better, feel better.