Poor sleep quality can make people more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, according to a new study.
Psychologists from the University of Nottingham found that people with worse sleep quality over the past month were more likely to endorse conspiracy theories, especially after they had been exposed to content of that theme.
Conspiracy theories were defined as claims that “powerful, secretive groups act in their own self-interest to the detriment of society”. Psychologists warned they have “serious consequences”, such as increased vaccine hesitancy and climate change scepticism.
In two studies involving over 1,000 participants, published in the Journal of Health Psychology, the psychologists examined the link between sleep quality and conspiracy beliefs.
The first study saw 540 participants complete a standardised sleep quality assessment before they read an article about the Notre Dame Cathedral fire in Paris.
Some people were exposed to a conspiracy narrative suggesting a deliberate cover-up, while others read a factual account where the fire was described as an accident.
Researchers found that those with poorer sleep quality were more likely to believe the conspiratorial version of events.
A second study, with 575 participants, expanded on this to explain the link between poor sleep quality and conspiracy beliefs. Depression was named as another potential factor in conspiracy belief, as well as poor sleep and insomnia.
Anger and paranoia also played a role with less consistent effects, they found.
Dr Daniel Jolley, an assistant professor in social psychology who led the research team, described sleep as being “crucial for mental health and cognitive functioning”.
He continued: “Poor sleep has been shown to increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and paranoia – factors that also contribute to conspiracy beliefs.
“Our research suggests that improving sleep quality could serve as a protective factor against the spread of conspiratorial thinking.”
The findings concluded that by improving sleep quality, people might be better equipped to recognise misinformation and resist misleading narratives. They recommended “sleep-focused interventions” to tackle the issue.
In 2023, The Policy Institute and Kings College London surveyed 2,274 UK adults on conspiracy theories about Covid-19, 15-minute cities, and the World Economic Forum.
They found tht around a third of the public believed these various conspiracy theories were “probably or definitely true”.
Source: independent.co.uk
