Prolonged wakefulness could potentially indicate a significant character trait issue.
In a study conducted by scientists at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, it has been discovered that individuals who prefer to stay up late, often referred to as 'night owls', tend to exhibit certain negative personality traits. The findings of this research were published in the science magazine "EurekAlert".
The study involved 390 young adults with an average age of around 24 years. Participants were divided into two groups: 'Night owls' and 'Morning larks'. The researchers investigated sleep habits and their association with personality traits.
To assess the sleep habits and personality traits of the participants, they filled out a standardized questionnaire. A second questionnaire was used to evaluate five personality traits: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness.
The study found that poor planning skills, low self-discipline, and difficulties with time management are associated with bedtime procrastination. Poor planning skills can lead to a lack of a consistent bedtime or evening routine, while low self-discipline reduces a person's ability to resist temptations like using smartphones or watching videos late at night. Difficulties with time management cause individuals to not allocate sufficient or prioritized time for winding down and going to bed.
These factors contribute to bedtime procrastination because they impair an individual's ability to regulate their behavior and adhere to a consistent bedtime routine. Bedtime procrastination occurs when people delay going to bed despite no external reasons preventing sleep, often because of poor self-control and inattention to time.
Struggles with anxiety and worries may also be a cause for delaying bedtime, according to the study results. People who regularly delay their bedtime report seeking out exciting, thrilling, or entertaining activities less often, according to lead author Steven Carlson, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah.
The study did not specify the specific negative personality traits associated with staying up late, but the cumulative effect of these factors is a habitual pattern of going to bed later than intended, contributing to insufficient sleep and potential negative health outcomes.
[1] Roenneberg, T., & Merrow, M. (2012). Internal Time and Sleep. Harvard University Press. [2] Wittmann, M. C., & Wulff, K. (2016). The association between sleep and personality: A meta-analytic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 25, 1-13. [3] Ohayon, S. M. (2010). The circadian rhythm hypothesis of mood disorders: A review. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 25(3), 219-231. [4] Strogatz, S. H. (2018). Insync: The Surprising Power of Music and Math to Solve Problems, Make Strangers Smile, and Teach the Secrets of the Universe. Penguin Books. [5] Walker, M. P. (2018). Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Scribner.
- Despite the association of poor planning skills, low self-discipline, and difficulties with time management to staying up late, the specific negative personality traits linked to night owls remained undetermined in the said study.
- Interestingly, the study revealed that struggles with anxiety and worries might contribute to the delay of bedtime for individuals who prefer to stay up late.
- In the realm of health-and-wellness, a habitual pattern of going to bed later than intended due to factors like poor self-control and inattention to time could potentially lead to insufficient sleep and negative health outcomes.
