Research led by the University of Warwick has found that how people feel about their sleep has a greater impact on their well-being than what sleep-tracking technology says about their sleep quality.
Over a two-week period, more than 100 participants aged 18-22 years were instructed to maintain a daily sleep diary detailing their previous night’s sleep. This included the time they went to bed, the time it took them to fall asleep, the time they woke up, the time they got out of bed, and their overall satisfaction with their sleep.
Throughout the following day, participants were asked to rate their positive and negative emotions, as well as their satisfaction with life, five times. In addition, they wore an actigraph on their wrist to measure their movement and estimate their sleep patterns and rest cycles.
The researchers compared the actigraphy data with the participants’ perceptions of their sleep and their feelings throughout the day. The aim was to determine the relationship between variations in sleep patterns and quality and the participants’ mood and life satisfaction the following day.
Dr. Anita Lenneis, the lead author from the University of Warwick’s Department of Psychology, stated, “Our results showed a consistent link between how young people evaluated their sleep and how they felt about their well-being and life satisfaction.
“For example, when participants reported better sleep than usual, they experienced more positive emotions and greater life satisfaction the next day. However, the measure of sleep quality derived from actigraphy, known as sleep efficiency, had no association with well-being the following day.
“This indicates a distinction between actigraphy-measured sleep efficiency and people’s own perception of sleep quality in relation to their evaluation of well-being.”
Professor Anu Realo, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick, added, “Our findings align with previous research that identified individuals’ self-reported health, rather than their actual health conditions, as the main factor influencing subjective well-being and especially life satisfaction.”
The study concludes that positively evaluating one’s sleep may contribute to a better mood the next day.
Dr. Lenneis explained, “Even if a sleep tracking device indicates poor sleep quality, your own perception of the quality may be positive. If you believe you slept well, it can improve your mood the following day.”
“Conversely, if a sleep tracker claims you slept well but you did not experience it that way, this information may help you reassess your sleep quality. A sleep tracker provides insight into your sleep that is typically unavailable while you’re asleep. Hence, it can enhance your subjective perception of last night’s sleep and subsequently improve your overall well-being the next day.”