Effects of partial sleep deprivation on subjective emotion experience and implicit emotion regulation

• Background: Neurophysiological research implicates sleep deprivation in emotion dysregulation. Less is known about the effects of partial sleep deprivation on the emotions and on emotion regulation of otherwise healthy people. An experimental, randomized pretest-posttest study design was used to examine the differential effects of partial sleep deprivation on emotion experience and implicit emotion regulation following emotion elicitation.Methods: We randomized 81 healthy adults (44 females) into a sleep deprivation or rested condition. Sleep deprivation was defined as 3-nights with 5-hours total time in bed. Scores on positive and negative emotion markers measured emotions. Mixed between-within subjects analyses of variance were used to examine group differences in emotion following the sleep condition and after the emotion elicitation procedures and test.Results: Sleep deprived people reported significantly less positive emotions, and more fatigue, irritability, and hostility compared to people who were rested following the sleep condition. There were negligible differences between groups in implicit emotion regulation following emotion elicitation.Conclusions: These findings suggest that partial sleep deprivation is a potent stressor in emotion dysregulation through reductions in positive emotions. It also appears that implicit emotion regulation works equally well following strong negative emotional events, regardless of sleep condition. From a clinical perspective, sleep deprivation and ensuing reductions in positive affect and emotion may provide clinicians with viable targets in depression treatment. Keywords: Experimental, sleep deprivation, affect, emotions, emotion regulation, emotion elicitation.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Experimental

sleep deprivation

affect

emotions

emotion regulation

emotion elicitation

Psychology

Psykologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)