Get To Bed Soon: Late Nighters Have More Negative Thoughts

Could the key to happiness be going to bed earlier? Psychologists at Binghamton University in New York think so.

Researchers polled 100 students at school regarding the frequency of their negative mental states and whether or not they slept for normal or late hours of the night. As it turns out, "people who sleep for shorter periods of time and go to bed later often experience more repetitive negative thoughts than others... [including] for those students who described themselves as evening types."

Researchers recommend that if you frequently struggle with negative thoughts, going to bed earlier can help.
Researchers believe that with future studies, these and other findings could be helpful in the development of treatments for anxiety disorders and depression, alike.

"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," concluded study author Jacob Nota .

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Cognitive Therapy and Research.