How much extra sleep makes the difference?

Back to all blogs

By Katherine Bruce

Need a shot of inspiration to tackle your bedtime procrastination habit? According to research from Baylor University in the USA, just 46 minutes of extra sleep can make you feel more resilient, grateful, and even give you a stronger sense of purpose.

Here’s a quick summary of what the researchers did, what they found, and – most importantly! – what it might tell us about how to stop bedtime procrastination.

The big idea

Sleep scientists often focus on all the negative consequences of sleeping too little: poor concentration, low mood, overeating…it’s seemingly endless. But for this study, researchers Alexander H. Do, Sarah A. Schnitker and Michael K. Scullin took a more positive approach: they explored if and how getting extra sleep can enhance wellbeing.

The research

During the study, 90 young adults took part in a week-long experiment and were randomly assigned to one of three sleep conditions:

• Sleep extension: going to bed earlier and increasing sleep time.
• Sleep restriction: going to bed later and reducing sleep time.
• Normal sleep: continuing their usual schedule
  
  

The researchers monitored the participants’ sleep using wearable devices that track sleep patterns. They also measured several indicators of wellbeing, including gratitude, resilience and what they described as ‘flourishing’ (a sense of meaning and purpose as well as life satisfaction). 

Participants were also asked to record expressions of gratitude in a journal, giving researchers insight into how their sleep affected real behaviour as well as self-reported feelings.

The results

Across the week, the sleep extension group increased their sleep by about 46 minutes per night, while the sleep restriction group lost around 37 minutes of sleep. The results showed that even those small differences made a measurable impact.

Participants who slept longer reported:

• Higher resilience
• Greater gratitude
• Increased life satisfaction
• A stronger sense of meaning and purpose
  
  

Meanwhile, those who slept less all fared worse in the same areas. The researchers found that the benefits of extra sleep couldn’t be fully explained by mood alone, suggesting sleep may influence deeper aspects of psychological wellbeing.

What the researchers say

“Better sleep helps you to have a clear vision for your life and to be more resilient to the challenges that could happen tomorrow.”

Michael Scullin

Using the study to help stop bedtime procrastination

We all know that being well-slept boosts our energy and mood. But could going to bed on time change the way you feel about life at a deeper level? It’s definitely worth finding out. If you're struggling with how to stop bedtime procrastination, here are some ideas to help you use this study to make a change.

Use ‘how you feel’ as info: Are you really lacking in purpose? Or are you just tired because you go to bed late?
Re-think sleep: Being well-slept isn’t just about having more energy; it could shift your whole perspective.
Start small: Even going to bed 46 minutes earlier could make all the difference.

Find out more

The study is titled “Gratitude, Flourishing, and Prosocial Behaviors Following Experimental Sleep Restriction and Sleep Extension.” It was published in the Journal of Positive Psychology.