São Paulo / Munich (IT BoltWise) – A new study by the University of São Paulo has shown that certain personality traits can significantly influence the risk of developing insomnia. Especially people with high neuroticism values associated with emotional instability tend to sleep more.
The research results of the University of São Paulo suggest that personality traits such as neuroticism and openness play an important role in the development of insomnia. While neuroticism is associated with an increased risk of sleep disorders, openness seems to have a protective effect. The study shows that fear is the crucial mechanism that conveys the relationship between neuroticism and insomnia, while depression does not play a significant role.
The examination published in the Journal of Sleep Research analyzed the personality traits of 595 participants aged 18 to 59. The participants were divided into two groups: a group of people with diagnosed insomnia and a control group without sleep problems. The results showed that 61.7 % of people with insomnia had high neuroticism values compared to 32 % in the control group.
Interestingly, people with high openness values had lower sleepless rates of sleep. This indicates that openness to new experiences may have a protective effect against sleep disorders. The researchers emphasize that the treatment of insomnia should not only aim to improve sleep, but also to the treatment of anxiety, which are often associated with high neuroticism values.
The study emphasizes the importance of the so -called ‘3 PS’ of insomnia: predisposition, triggering and maintaining. Neuroticism could be seen as a predisposing factor that makes people more susceptible to sleep disorders. The researchers also examined whether symptoms of fear and depression as mediators and moderators could act between the relationship between neuroticism and insomnia.
In practice, this means that health service providers should also take into account the personality traits and the associated psychological factors of their patients when treating insomnia. The treatment for insomnia that is currently considered ‘gold standard’ is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). However, there are still too few psychologists specializing in sleep in Brazil to offer this therapy across the board.
The researchers therefore advocate a broader view and a deeper examination of the psychological factors of the patients. The development of trans-diagnostic treatment protocols that integrate behavioral and psychological techniques could enable more effective treatment of insomnia. These results contribute to the development of new, personalized psychological and behavioral protocols for the treatment of insomnia.
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