Thirty minutes of extra sleep each night allows you to be more focused and attentive in carrying out daily tasks.
- Mindfulness is defined by a well-adjusted attention to the environment
- Access to this state of mindfulness is facilitated when the duration of sleep is extended by 20 minutes
Mindfulness refers to the fact of placing all of one’s attention in the activity that one carries out, without judgment or opinion. It’s about being fully in what we’re doing, without distraction. This practice is often associated with meditation, because it allows access to this mental state. But it is possible to use mindfulness in everyday activities and even in work. Researchers at the University of South Florida find that good quality sleep facilitates access to this mental state. Their research was published in the journal Sleep Health.
Sleep disorders, an important issue for nurses
“Mindful attention goes beyond simply being awakesays Soomi Lee, lead author of this study. It indicates a control of the attention and a self-regulation which is related to the sensitivity and allows the adjustment to its environment” She explains that we can be awake and alert, but not in a state of full consciousness, as we can feel tired and be. This research was carried out in a professional setting: the researchers were interested in nurses. They recall that quality sleep and mindful attention are essential in the context of their duties. However, sleep disorders are frequent in this profession because of the night work but also the nature of their activity, where they may be exposed to difficult situations.
An analysis carried out using questionnaires
For two weeks, the researchers followed 61 nurses. Three times a day, the participants had to answer a questionnaire on their mental state and their sleep, thanks to a smartphone application. Among the questions asked were statements like:II was doing something automatically, without being aware of what I was doing” Where “I found it difficult to stay focused on what was going on”. A connected watch was lent to them for the duration of the study to quantify their sleep, and analyze the cycles of deep sleep and wakefulness.
Patient health at stake
Researchers found that participants’ mindful attention was greater when they slept better. The same benefits were seen when they slept longer, on average, 29 extra minutes per night. They were also less tired during the day. Those who experienced the most moments of mindfulness were 66% less likely to suffer from insomnia, compared to those who did not. For the authors of the study, these results are an avenue for the development of new health prevention strategies, based on behavior, to help caregivers. For them, improving the sleep of these healthcare professionals means guaranteeing better patient care.
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