While it is already known that people who suffer from insomnia are likely to develop health issues, what most people were unaware of was that mental and emotional distress could be one of the leading factors that cause insomnia. A new study has now found that insomnia can make someone feel a lot worse about themselves. The study asked participants to relieve their most embarrassing moment from the previous decade and simultaneously made MRI scans of their brains. It was found that insomnia was caused due to the failure of neutralisation of emotional distress.
The study further suggested that while sleep was important for a person to get rest, it was also important for the brain to be able to detach itself from negative associations and get rid of emotional stress. When we sleep some connections in our brain cells are made stronger whereas others are made weaker. So, strong positive memories are made solid whereas negative experiences are put off.
"Sayings like 'sleeping on it' to 'get things off your mind' reflect our nocturnal digestion of daytime experiences. Brain research now shows that only good sleepers profit from sleep when it comes to shedding emotional tension. The process does not work well in people with insomnia. In fact, their restless nights can even make them feel worse" said the first author of the study.
Another part of the study required the participants to sing songs in karaoke style while wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Because of this, they were unable to hear their own voice. When the participants were made to listen to their recorded voices they felt rather embarrassed. But then the next day when participants who had slept well were made to listen to their recordings again, they didn't feel like it was a big deal. On the other hand, participants who hadn't slept well felt even worse about it.
The scientists suggest that insomnia probably occurs due to lack of sleep which causes the brain circuits that regulate emotions to go berserk. When these circuits are unable to manage the emotions well, it leads to distressing events which happened from decades ago to be remembered again as if they were happening in real time. If you can’t get proper sleep at night, try to visit a doctor and get treated accordingly. Stay tuned for more updates.
