Researchers at Indiana University in the USA found that watching the clock while trying to sleep only exacerbates insomnia. The results of the research have been published magazine Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders.
Insomnia affects 4 to 22% of adults and is associated with long-term health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. Therefore, it is important to explore the causes of its development and ways to combat it.
Researchers conducted a study involving nearly 5,000 patients with sleep problems. They all told the researchers about their sleep habits and also kept a sleep diary.
The authors found that the stress of estimating sleep duration significantly inhibited people’s ability to fall asleep quickly. This, in turn, leads to an increased likelihood of using sleeping pills, which do not help in the fight against insomnia.
Scientists say that a simple behavioral intervention, such as refusing to control time, helps alleviate insomnia.
“One thing people can do is turn their watches or turn them off, throw away their smartwatches, put their phones aside so as not to just look at the time. There is not a single place where watching the clock would be particularly useful,” they concluded.