When It Comes To Living A Joyful Life, New Research Finds Sleep Is Key

Researchers out of the University of British Columbia studied the sleep routine of 1,982 American adults over the course of a week. In that time, they identified two major trends: After a shorter night's sleep, people tended to feel extra peeved by stressful situations and less able to find joy in the good stuff the next day.

"When people experience something positive, such as getting a hug or spending time in nature, they typically feel happier that day," lead study author Nancy Sin, Ph.D., explained of the findings in a news release. "But we found that when a person sleeps less than their usual amount, they don't have as much of a boost in positive emotions from their positive events."

By conducting daily telephone interviews with participants and asking them about their sleep duration, daily stressors, positive events, and effect, Sin's team found that even "minor night-to-night fluctuations in sleep duration can have consequences in how people respond to events in their daily lives."

On the bright side, the study also found that longer sleep can set us up for more joy and positivity throughout the day. Researchers found that this was especially true for those who were dealing with chronic health conditions. "For those with chronic health conditions, we found that longer sleep—compared to one's usual sleep duration—led to better responses to positive experiences on the following day," Sin said in the release.

While this study specifically focused on sleep duration, Sin's previous research has found that sleep quality also affects mood. When we wake up in the middle of the night, for example, we tend to feel more stress-prone the next day.