Depression also plays a key role in this newfound link between poor sleep and conspiracy beliefs.
13:54, 13 Mar 2025
Poor sleep quality can have many physical and psychological consequences(Image: Getty Images)
Sleep, as we all know, is vital to maintain the healthy upkeep of our bodies. Poor sleep is linked to many chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression.
But a new study has revealed that poor sleep quality may increase an individual's susceptibility to conspiracy theories, with depression likely playing a key role in this newly-discovered phenomenon.
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A team from the University of Nottingham's School of Psychology analysed the link between sleep quality and conspiracy beliefs in two studies involving over 1,000 participants, with the results published in the Journal of Health Psychology.
Individuals with poorer sleep quality over the space of a month were found to be more likely to believe in conspiracy theories after exposure to conspiratorial content, reported Medical Xpress.
According to conspiracy theorists, powerful and secretive organisations act in their own self-interest, to the detriment of wider society. Some conspiracy theories have been known to cause vaccine hesitancy, climate change skepticism, and political distrust.
The University's first study involved taking 540 participants who completed a standardised sleep quality assessment before reading an article about the Notre Dame Cathedral fire in Paris.
Conspiracy theories were more likely to be believed by those with poor sleep quality(Image: SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images)
Some participants were exposed to a conspiracy narrative in the article they were given, which suggested a deliberate cover-up of the fire's origins. Others read a factual account which attributed the fire to an accident.
The study concluded that those with poorer sleep quality were more likely to believe the conspiratorial version of events.
A second study with 575 participants expanded on these initial findings by investigating the underlying psychological mechanisms that can explain this newfound link between lack of sleep and belief in conspiracy theories.
Both poor sleep quality and insomnia were found to be positively linked to the endorsement of conspiracy theories, and depression emerged as an underlying factor that contributed to this link. Anger and paranoia also played a role, but their effects were less consistent.
Dr Daniel Jolley, Assistant Professor in Social Psychology, led the research team, which also included Research Fellow Dr Iwan Dinnick and recent graduates Lauren Burgin, Sophie Ryan, Olivia Morgan-Finn and Samuel Muncer.
Dr. Jolley explained: "Sleep is crucial for mental health and cognitive functioning. 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."
It is thought that sleep-focused interventions may be able to decrease susceptibility to conspiracy theories, and that by improving sleep quality, individuals may be better equipped to critically evaluate information and resist misleading narratives.
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