Figuring out the key to a good night’s sleep has been troubling humankind since noisy pterodactyls were keeping us up.*
A run? A bath? A book? The trick to nodding off peacefully seems to vary wildly depending which expert / irresponsible friend you’re talking to.
Now, researchers from Northwestern University in the US have come up with a new suggestion for what the secret may be and it certainly doesn’t come in the form of a pill. It is simply having a reason to get up in the morning.
Their research—conducted among older people, but which the team believe can be applied across all age ranges – found that people who feel their life has a sense of purpose are less prone to suffering from insomnia and poor sleep over a long period.
Lead scientist Dr Jason Ong said: “Helping people cultivate a purpose in life could be an effective drug-free strategy to improve sleep quality, particularly for a population that is facing more insomnia.”
And how exactly does one obtain a meaningful life?
“Purpose in life is something that can be cultivated and enhanced through mindfulness therapies,” said Ong.
Sounds… expensive.
*We know this never actually happened, by the way.
