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Improved sleep leads to high levels of health and wellbeing over time, according to a new UK study. Psychologist Nicole Tang, who lead the University of Warwick research, said aiming for
better sleep routines leads to optimal physical and mental wellbeing over time - and that quality of sleep is more important than how many hours you get. Analysing the sleep patterns of more
than 30,500 people in UK households across four years, Dr Tang found that improving your sleep quality leads to levels of mental and physical health comparable to those of a £200,000
lottery winner. The study shows that positive changes in sleep over time - improved quality and quantity, and using less sleep medication - are linked with improved scores on the General
Health Questionnaire (GHQ), which is used by mental health professionals to monitor psychological wellbeing in patients. People surveyed who reported positive improved sleep scored a
two-point change in the GHQ - a result comparable to those recorded from patients completing an eight-week programme of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy designed to improve psychological
wellbeing. The same people showed improvements in physical and emotional health, as well as an ability to perform everyday activities. However, it was found that a lack of sleep, bad quality
sleep, and using more sleep medication can lead to worsened medical and emotional states. Dr Tang's research proves that improving the quality and quantity of sleep among the
population - as well as discouraging the use of sleep medication - is an effective, simple and cheap method of raising the health and wellbeing of society as a whole. She said that working
on getting good quality sleep, and the reduction of sleep medication, should be promoted as a public health value - something that everyone can do easily to stay physically and mentally
healthy. Dr Tang said: “Our findings suggest a positive change in sleep is linked to better physical and mental wellbeing further down the line. “It is refreshing to see the healing
potential of sleep outside of clinical trial settings, as this goes to show that the benefits of better sleep are accessible to everyone and not reserved for those with extremely bad sleep
requiring intensive treatments.