Insomnia can be influenced by personality traits, underlines the Brazilian study; Find out how

The discoveries can help in the processes of assessing, prevention and planning of more suitable treatments to this highly widespread sleep disorder in the population

Study conducted in University of San Paolo (USP) has studied the influence of personality traits on the development and perpetuation of insomnia And he discovered that there is a direct relationship between the two. Two results attracted the attention of researchers: high opening rates were associated with low insomnia rates, while the high level of neuroticism (characterized by emotional instability) was quite widespread in people with the disorder of sleep. The results They were published in the Journal of Sleep Research.

“We decided to study the influence of personality traits on insomnia because it is an extremely widespread disorder that has negative health impacts, such as the greatest risk of hypertension, diabetesanxiety e depression. These various physical health conditions e mental They lead to a worst quality of life “, explains Barbara Araújo Conway, a sleep psychologist and author of the degree thesis of the Master Defense at the Institute of Psychiatry of the Faculty of Medicine (FM-USP), with the support of Fapesp and Guide of Professor Renatha El Rafihi-Ferreira of the Department of Clinical Psychology.

As the authors explain, insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders in adults. It is estimated that about 30% of the world population suffers from the problem, characterized by the difficulty of falling asleep, remaining sleeping or returning to sleep after an unwanted awakening. In Brazil, in particular in Saint Paul, this number is even higher: almost half of Paulistanos (45%) complains of insomnia, according to the data of the sleep epidemiological study (Epison).

But to understand how the authors arrived at the results of the study you have to go back and know the traits of the personality. “These are characteristics that estimate a scheme of what are the feelings, thoughts and behaviors of a particular person. They are a set of factors that form the personality and characteristics of the individual. According to Big Five theory, we have all different levels of the five personality traits”, explained the psychologist. I am:

• Estroversion: People with a higher level of extroversion tend to be more speaking, more dominant, with a leadership profile. They prefer group activities, they are easier to relate, create intimacy and are often more assertive. People with low extroversion are not necessarily introverted, but they prefer to be more sun and often have difficulty working with groups.
• Neuroticism: It is a trait of personality linked to the degree of emotional stability. People with a high rate of neuroticism are often more emotionally unstable and tend to focus on more negative aspects of life. These are people who, in the face of adversities, tend to be disorganized and suffer more intensely, being more sensitive to stress. Scientific literature underlines that a high neuroticism has a correlation with anxiety and depression.
• Kindness: It is a trait of personality linked to empathy. People with high types of kindness tend to be more empathetic, more friendly and worried about the well -being of others, focusing a lot on the situation of the other (it can even be naive and enhance the other on themselves). Those with low rates are generally more skeptical and more suspicious.
• Opening to experience: The person open to new experiences tends to be more creative, with exploratory behavior in the face of novelty. He is interested in the new ones, they are curious and imaginative people and experience emotions more intensely. People with low opening rates are those who prefer routine, avoid discomfort and tend to be conventional.
• Conscientosity: It can also be called realization. People with high rates are determined, committed, motivated, persevering and can sacrifice the momentary pleasures in search of a greater goal. A very high index may not be good, because it can lead to perfectionism. Those with low rates are less demanding, less obstinate, in common sense they would be more “lazy”.

The study

To achieve the results, the researchers evaluated 595 participants, between 18 and 59 years of age, divided into two groups: one made up of insonence patients who sought help and received a formal diagnosis made by a sleeping doctor and the other half was a group of bastards with people without complaints of insomnia.

The personality levels of each participant were established through a questionnaire for the exclusive use of the professionals of the psychologyComposed of 60 questions that established a score. The volunteers of both groups answered questions so that researchers could define the scores of the features of their personality.

After applying the questionnaire for both groups, crossing and analyzing the data, Conway discovered that patients with insomnia have a much higher rate of neuroticism than volunteers without insomnia and have lower rates of kindness, opening and consciences. Estroversion was the only personality trait that showed no significant difference. “Nevroticism was the most exceptional trait, the steps have this much higher index. But we cannot say that the Insoni are more introverted,” Ponder Conway.

The analyzes also showed that: 61.7% of the insomies had a high rate of neuroticism, compared to 32% of the control group; 40.7% of insonvisors had low opening rates, compared to 23% of the healthy group; 31.5% of volunteers with insomnia showed low kindness compared to 23.2% of the non -insane; And 37.7% of the insane had a poor consciousness, compared to 24.1% of the control group.

“After more detailed statistical analyzes, the results of the study allow us to affirm that people with high rates of neuroticism have a greater propensity to have insomnia,” says the researcher.

The group has also made a statistical analysis to study whether any other factor could interfere with the association between neuroticism and insomnia and has discovered that anxiety acts as a mediation mechanism, that is, the symptoms of anxiety that actually influence the development of insomnia. “Explains the entire effect of the high neuroticism on insomnia,” says the researcher. The group also tested the role of depression, but has not shown that it is an important mechanism in this relationship.

Effect on practice

Considering that the traits of the personality are associated with positive or negative results as regards physical and mental health, the study suggests that it is important to know the most popular traits of personalities among people with insomnia, so that knowledge can help in the most appropriate evaluation, prevention and planning process and based on the specificity of each patient.

The results point out that, to treat a patient’s insomnia, it is also necessary to study and treat their anxiety. “These results are important in clinical practice, because receiving patients with this trait of personality is essential to think of a treatment plan that focuses not only on sleep but also in anxiety”, says El Rafihi-Ferreira.

But in order for this to happen, health workers must understand and evaluate the personality of patients looking for help when they have sleep problems. “We know that most insurgents have a high rate of neuroticism. These patients deserve to study and treat their anxiety for insomnia to improve. Sometimes this involves different therapies and drugs, so it is important to have a wider look at the history and specificity of each individual”, says Conway.

Currently, the treatment considered “gold standard” for insomnia is cognitive behavioral therapy applied to insomnia (TCC-I), but there are still few psychologists asleep in Brazil to offer it. Therefore, researchers argue that healthcare professionals have a wider look and deepen investigations on patient psychological factors.

“The association between personality traits, anxiety and insomnia brings the importance of the development of transdiagnostic treatment protocols, that is, it implies the integration of techniques and behavioral processes to treat a series of emotional difficulties that share processes and mechanisms behind several complaints”, underlines the study consultant.

“We already have a non -pharmacological treatment for insomnia, but just as we do not have a medicine that will be effective for all patients, a single therapy approach may not work for everyone. These results contribute to the development of new psychological and behavioral protocols more personalized for the treatment of insomnia”, concludes Conway.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.