Bad sleep linked to loneliness in adult: study

Do you have poor night sleep? Do you feel tired and have difficulty concentrating during the day, if yes to all the above then it could be due to loneliness. A UK study has suggested that being lonely could lead to poor night's sleep.

Researchers found that young adults who were lonely reported worse overall sleep quality.

The study, carried out by researchers from King's College London  examined both self-reported loneliness and perceived loneliness of more than 2200 British young adults.

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The researchers also analysed the sleep quality 18 to 19-year-olds.

Loneliness was measured by to four questions: How often do you feel that you lack companionship?; How often do you feel left out?; How often do you feel isolated from others? and How often do you feel alone?

They also assessed participant's sleep quality in the past month, including the time it takes to fall asleep, sleep duration and sleep disturbances.

Overall 25-30 per cent reported feeling lonely sometimes, with a further five per cent reporting frequent feelings of loneliness.

They found a "modest but robust" association between loneliness and poorer sleep quality.

The link held true even after researchers took into account symptoms of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, commonly associated with sleep problems and feeling lonely.

Diminished sleep quality is one of the many ways in which loneliness gets under the skin, and our findings underscore the importance of early therapeutic approaches to target the negative thoughts and perceptions that can make loneliness a vicious cycle," said Professor Louise Arseneault from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London.

Many of the young people in our study are currently at university, living away from home for the first time, which can compound feelings of loneliness.

It is therefore important that they receive appropriate support to address these feelings before they turn into severe mental health problems.

Past exposure to violence was also linked to poor sleep, said Timothy Matthews, who also works at the Institute.

Sleep is a state in which it is impossible to be vigilant for one's safety, so feeling isolated from others could make it more difficult to sleep restfully, and even more so for individuals who have been exposed to violence in the past, he said.

Loneliness may interact with pre-existing vulnerabilities in some people, and that these individuals should receive tailored support.

The study is published in the journal Psychological Medicine.