Get Some Rest! It Helps Keep Anxiety And Depression At Bay

Getting some more sleep could help to treat depression and anxiety disorders, according to recent findings published in the journal Cognitive Therapy and Research.

The study involved 100 young adults from Binghamton University who were asked to complete a series of questionnaires and computer tasks, which measured how much participants worried or obsessed over certain things.

Findings revealed that people who slept for shorter periods of time or went to bed later typically had more negative thoughts and dealt with more nervousness.

"Making sure that sleep is obtained during the right time of day may be an inexpensive and easily disseminable intervention for individuals who are bothered by intrusive thoughts," said researcher Jacob Nota of Binghamton University, in a news release. 

"If further findings support the relation between sleep timing and repetitive negative thinking, this could one day lead to a new avenue for treatment of individuals with internalizing disorders," added co-researcher Meredith Coles of Binghamton University. "Studying the relation between reductions in sleep duration and psychopathology has already demonstrated that focusing on sleep in the clinic also leads to reductions in symptoms of psychopathology."

The study is part of a larger compilation that examines the relations between sleep behavior and mental health, with growing evidence linking sleep and psychopathology. 

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).