Sleepiness Affects New Year’s Resolution Success
As we embark on a new year, setting resolutions to improve our lives is a common practice. From eating healthier to exercising more, many of us strive to make positive changes. However, a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of South Carolina, CQUniversity Australia, and the University of Surrey suggests that there is one crucial factor that could impact the success of our resolutions: sleepiness.
Published in the Journal of Sleep Research, the study found that sleepiness can increase our reliance on habits, whether they are good or bad. Amanda Rebar, associate professor of health promotion education and behavior at USC’s Arnold School of Public Health, explains, “When our ability to control what we do is depleted by sleepiness, we tend to act more on ‘autopilot,’ with minimal forethought. Our study shows this definitively: people were more likely to act habitually when they reported feeling sleepy. While this can result in higher levels of good habits, it can also lead individuals to fall back on bad habits.”
The researchers followed over 100 individuals for a week, comparing sleepiness levels and habits both between participants and within individuals. They discovered that when people were sleepier than usual, they were more likely to engage in habitual behaviors, regardless of whether those habits were positive or negative.
Daytime sleepiness affects nearly a quarter of Americans, impacting alertness and increasing the likelihood of falling asleep during waking hours. This state not only leads to discomfort but also impairs individuals’ ability to consciously regulate their behaviors. “Feeling drowsy can put us at real risk of lapsing back into our old, unwanted bad habits,” says Benjamin Gardner, director of the Habit Application and Theory group at the University of Surrey. “Lapsing can cause us to lose confidence in our ability to change and make us give up.”
For those striving to stick to their New Year’s resolutions, the researchers recommend prioritizing sleep to maintain alertness, support new habits, and resist falling back on old, undesirable behaviors. By ensuring that new habits become firmly established, individuals are more likely to rely on them even when faced with sleepiness.
In conclusion, getting enough sleep is essential for successfully achieving our goals and maintaining positive changes in behavior. By understanding the impact of sleepiness on our habits, we can take proactive steps to safeguard our resolutions and pave the way for a healthier, happier year ahead.
