Purpose in Life Associated With a Better Night's Sleep, Study Says

Sleeping better at night might have a lot to do with how you feel about yourself during the day. Namely, if you have a sense of purpose in life, according to new research.

Study participants took several surveys, one on purpose in life and one on sleep. The purpose-in-life survey included rating responses to statements like, "I feel good when I think of what I've done in the past and what I hope to do in the future." The study was published this week in Sleep Science and Practice.

Researchers found that people who thought their lives had meaning were less likely (63 percent less likely) to have sleep apnea, marked by interrupted breathing during sleep. They were also 52 percent less likely to suffer from restless leg syndrome, characterized by uncomfortable feelings in the legs and uncontrollably needing to move them.

The more than 820 participants in the study were between ages 60 to 100 but researchers feel the findings could apply to the younger set, too. All of the participants were selected through Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

The American College of Physicians recommends non-drug methods for sleep improvement as a first line insomnia treatment, study author Jason Ong, of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a statement.

"Helping people cultivate a purpose in life could be an effective drug-free strategy to improve sleep quality, particularly for a population that is facing more insomnia," Ong added. "Purpose in life is something that can be cultivated and enhanced through mindfulness therapies."

As one Inc.com columnist points out, the "mindfulness" trend has both some grounding in science but has also faced criticism. Experts say the practice can help those with anxiety handle stress and better understand their emotions.

"Personally, if I know I have to get up in the morning to, say, catch a flight that's precisely when I sleep badly," Inc.com's Chris Matyszczyk writes. "Some people, though, simply don't sleep well. How much, for them, is it because they don't have a purpose in life?"

Study author Arlener Turner, says research should next focus on mindfulness-based therapies specifically meant for enhancing purpose in life and sleep quality.