The resulting survey score ranged from 6 to 30, with 30 being the most optimistic.Īs part of the CARDIA study, the participants reported on the quality of their sleep twice, 5 years apart, mentioning the number of hours they slept regularly and any symptoms ofáinsomnia. Statements included positive ones (such as, “I’m always optimistic about my future”) and negative ones (such as, “I hardly expect things to go my way”).
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To assess the participants’ optimism, the researchers asked them to express their agreement with a series of 10 statements using a five-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” The participants were non-Hispanic white and African American adults living in Birmingham, AL, Oakland, CA, Chicago, IL, and Minneapolis, MN, among other U.S.
Hernandez and team examined 3,548 participants, ages 32ľ51, who took part in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Rosalba Hernandez, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work, is the lead author of the new research.ĭr. This is a finding that builds on previousstudiesáthat have suggested that optimists have better cardiovascular health.ĭr. The study, which appears in the journaláBehavioral Medicine, finds that optimists tend to sleep better. New research suggests that there may be another ingredient that could help sleep, though it may be more difficult to obtain than a new mattress: an optimistic disposition. have a sleep disorder.Ī number of things can helpáimprove sleep, such as getting a new mattress, limiting late evening alcohol consumption, exercising regularly, and strictly using the bedroom for rest. In fact, aroundá30%áof adults in the United States do not get the amount of sleep that is optimal for health.Īlso,áup to 70 million peopleáin the U.S. Sleep deprivationáis a major public health concern. New research suggests that optimistic people are likelier to sleep better.