In a recent study conducted by the University of Cornell, researchers have found that the perception of getting enough sleep matters more to one’s daily well-being than one’s actual sleep duration or quality.
The study tracked 244 college students for ten consecutive nights period and used various methods such as questionnaires, physical activity trackers, and sleep diaries to gather their sleep patterns and self-ratings of their daily experiences.
Researchers asked the students to create a sleep diary and complete a daily questionnaire which assessed their perceived sleep quality, daily stress levels, and mood. During the study, the students were encouraged to track their sleep with either a wrist-worn physical activity tracker or via journal entries.
Surprisingly, researchers found that how the students perceiving their sleep quality had a much more significant impact to their daily well-being than their actual sleep duration and quality. The students’ belief of getting adequate sleep resulted in them having more energy and a generally better daily mood than those who believed they didn’t sleep enough.
This study brings forth an interesting thought: sometimes, it is our perception on something that matters more than the actual result. Paying attention to how you feel can be just as important as measuring hard data. After all, well-being is a subjective experience.
While trackers can be a great way to track our sleeping patterns, the study suggests that we should take our own opinions on sleep into consideration as well, since our subjective feelings of well-being should not be overlooked.