Author: Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA, OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

A simple way to improve resilience, flourishing, and gratitude

Previous post discussed how erratic sleep impacts your grades (1).

A recent study (2) looked sleep and its relationship with resiliency, gratitude, and flourishing.

What was the study? (2)

90 young adults age 18 to 24.

Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions:

  • A naturalistic sleep condition, participants were not given any guidelines on bedtimes or wake times.
  • A sleep restriction condition, participants were instructed to maintain a bedtime of 2:00 AM and a wake time of 7:30 AM.
  • A sleep extension condition, participants were instructed to keep a bedtime of 10:30 PM and wake time of 7:30 AM.
  • Sleep was monitored using an electronic wrist band and a sleep diary.

What were the results? (2)

  • Participants who extended their sleep by 46 minutes a night felt more resilience, gratitude, life satisfaction, and purpose in life.
  • Participants who restricted their sleep by an average of 37 minutes a night experienced drops in mood, resilience, flourishing and gratitude.
  • They also found that these benefits were not fully explained by mood changes.
  • The study also found that well-rested individuals showed increased expressions of gratitude and a more positive social outlook.

What are some ways of improving sleep?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests the following ways to improve sleep (3):

  • Keep a consistent sleep schedule.
  • Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations.
  • The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep for young adults (5).
  • Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
  • If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed.
  • Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
  • Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
  • Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.
  • Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings.
  • Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
  • Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack.
  • Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.
  • Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening.
  • Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime.
  • Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.

Anything else?

  • This is one study and further research is needed
  • This is a shorter term study and longer term follow up is needed
  • The study does not explore whether 8 hours or more of sleep provides further benefits in young adults
  • The bodies and brains of young adults are still developing, making the importance of adequate sleep even more critical
  • Some people may need to eliminate caffeine or alcohol completely and this is discussed further here (6).
  • Avoid electronics before bedtime (4), if you have to use electronics in the evenings for work deadlines, consider night-mode and or BLUEBLOCKERS.

Consider seeking professional help: https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/category/mental-health-treatment-options/

There are many steps you can take in your everyday life to improve your mental health, they are discussed on this blog and here(6).

Enter your email on this blog if you would like to be notified about future posts.

By R. Ryan Patel DO, FAPA OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

References:

  1. https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2017/12/31/poor-sleep-and-poor-grades-might-go-together/
  2. Do, A. H., Schnitker, S. A., & Scullin, M. K. (2024). Gratitude, flourishing and prosocial behaviors following experimental sleep restriction and sleep extension. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2024.2394452
  3. http://www.sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits
  4. Hartstein, Lauren E. et al. The impact of screen use on sleep health across the lifespan: A National Sleep Foundation consensus statement. Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, Volume 10, Issue 4, 373 – 384
  5. Hirshkowitz, Max et al. National Sleep Foundation’s updated sleep duration recommendations: final report. Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, Volume 1, Issue 4, 233 – 243
  6. Patel R. Mental Health For College StudentsChapter 15, Page 494-500.

 

 

 

Music for better focus?

Increasing number of people are struggling with focus problems in recent years. While the cause of this is complex and multifactorial, so are solutions.

It is important to consider that medications are just 1 part of the solution and may not be appropriate for everyone.

There are many medication and non-medication ways to improve attention depending on the individual.

Music might be an option for some people to improve focus.

  • One study found that classical orchestra music can increase mood and productivity, making it great for studying (1).
  • For those who don’t prefer classical music, electronic music with little to no lyrics may be an option (1).
  • Another study found that instrumental music without lyrics was better for focusing, as lyrics can be distracting when high concentration is required(2).
  • One study found that compared to silence, personally chosen background music enhanced young adults’ attentional control performance(3).

Types or features of music might worsen focus include:

  • One study found that music that causes you to feel stressed or sad worsens attention(5).
  • Listening to strongly preferred or popular music while attempting to focus tends to decrease task performance (6,7).

Caveats

  • Research shows a that there is a variation from person to person in their capacity to benefit from music (4).
  • This is an ongoing area of research and further study is needed.
  • You may have to experiment with various types of music to find what works best for you, if at all.
  • Some resources for focus music include Headspace app (they sometimes offer free trial version), and online play lists or music services.
  • Other strategies to improve focus can be found here (8) and here (9).

If you would like to be notified of future posts (about once per month), enter your email above.

By Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA ,OSU CCS Psychiatrist

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

References:

  1. https://www.nu.edu/blog/can-music-help-you-study-and-focus/
  2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-of-choice/202410/the-link-between-attention-and-music
  3. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.557225/full
  4. Bowling, D.L. Biological principles for music and mental health. Transl Psychiatry13, 374 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02671-4
  5. Shih YN, Chien WH, Chiang HS. Elucidating the relationship between work attention performance and emotions arising from listening to music. Work. 2016 Oct 17;55(2):489-494. doi: 10.3233/WOR-162408. PMID: 27689591.
  6. Orpella J, Bowling DL, Tomaino C, Ripollés P. Affectively parameterized music improves mood and attention (preprint). PsychiArXiv. 2023. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/yauxt
  7. Huang RH, Shih YN. Effects of background music on concentration of workers. Work 2011;38:383–7.
  8. https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2023/11/30/strategies-for-finals-and-academic-stress/
  9. Patel R. Mental Health For College StudentsChapter 15, Page 494-500.

 

Accupuncture for PTSD?

Exercise, nutrition, sleep strategies, have been shown to help improve a variety of mental health conditions (1).

A previous post discussed yoga for ptsd (2). This post looks at a recent study using acupuncture for ptsd (3)

What is PTSD? (4)

According to the National Institute of Mental health, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (4):

  • Is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event
  • The main symptoms of PTSD include traumatic experience, arousal/anxiety and re-experiencing symptoms, thought or mood disturbances
  • Treatment typically involves counseling and or medications
  • Learn more about signs, symptoms and treatment of ptsd here: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

What was the study? (3)

In a randomized trial of 93 veterans with combat-related PTSD compared twice-weekly acupuncture for 24 sessions compared to sham acupuncture with superficial needle insertion (2).

What were the results ?(3)

In an 80 point clinician administered symptom scale, the acupuncture group showed a 14.5 point reduction from baseline vs versus 7.5 point reduction for the sham group (2).

What are some caveats?

  • This is 1 small study and further study is needed
  • Results in the veteran population may not necessarily generalize to other populations such as college students
  • There are other studies showing benefits of acupuncture for ptsd (5,6,7,8)
  • It is unclear which patients with ptsd may benefit from acupuncture as a treatment option.
  • Due to limited evidence, this service may not be covered by insurance for ptsd.

Additional resources for PTSD:

By Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

 

References

  1. Patel R. Mental Health For College Students Chapter 9: Exercise strategies to improve mental health
  1. https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2024/05/31/yoga-for-ptsd/
  1. Hollifield M, Hsiao AF, Smith T, et al. Acupuncture for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2024; 81:545.
  2. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
  1. Engel  CC, Cordova EH, Benedek  DM,  et al.  Randomized effectiveness trial of a brief course of acupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder.   Med Care. 2014;52(12)(suppl 5):S57-S64. doi:1097/MLR.0000000000000237
  2. Kim  SH, Schneider SM, Kravitz  L, Mermier  C, Burge  MR.  Mind-body practices for posttraumatic stress disorder.   J Investig Med. 2013;61(5):827-834. doi:2310/JIM.0b013e3182906862
  3. King  HC, Spence DL, Hickey  AH, Sargent  P, Elesh  R, Connelly  CD.  Auricular acupuncture for sleep disturbance in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: a feasibility study.   Mil Med. 2015;180(5):582-590. doi:7205/MILMED-D-14-00451
  4. Moiraghi  C, Poli  P, Piscitelli  A.  An observational study on acupuncture for earthquake-related post-traumatic stress disorder: the experience of the Lombard Association of Medical Acupuncturists/Acupuncture in the world, in Amatrice, Central Italy.   Med Acupunct. 2019;31(2):116-122. doi:10.1089/acu.2018.1329