Story at a glance
- People who say they are forgiving of themselves and others tend to sleep better, report greater satisfaction with life and have better physical health, according to a new study.
- The study does not prove that forgiveness causes the improved slumber and well-being, but the correlation suggests taking steps to let go of anger and resentment could be beneficial.
- Research suggests there are steps we can take to better cultivate forgiveness for ourselves and others.
One-third of Americans struggle to fall asleep. But before you dose yourself with CBD tinctures or start mainlining melatonin, a new study suggests there may be a substance-free alternative: forgive someone or yourself, The Greater Good Magazine reports.
Researchers asked 1,423 adults a series of questions to gauge how likely they were to forgive themselves and others for wrongdoing. The study also asked about their last 30 days of sleep, satisfaction with life, and overall health.
Those who were more likely to turn the other cheek tended to sleep better and longer, as well as have better overall health, the researchers reported in The Journal of Psychology and Health. Moreover, the more forgiving participants were more satisfied with life. Forgiveness and sleep had the strongest relationship for those who identified as being more forgiving of others but was still improved for those who forgive themselves.
Despite the relatively small number of people the study surveyed, it dovetails with other recent studies suggesting that the more magnanimous among us enjoy sounder slumber. Those who were less inclined to forgive may stew in feelings like anger, blame and regret that keep them from drifting off, according to the study authors.
By contrast, letting go of those feelings “may help individuals leave the past day’s regrets and offenses in the past and offer an important buffer between the events of the waking day and the onset and maintenance of sound sleep,” the authors write.
A host of medical, psychological and environmental factors can make it harder to sleep, but forgiveness is free, not addictive and has benefits that spill into the rest of your life. Forgiveness, according to the The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, is “a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.”
Forgiveness can be easier said than done, but there are steps we can take to cultivate it. Psychologist Fred Luskin of Stanford University emphasizes that forgiveness is something we do for our own peace of mind, not as a favor to others. Forgiving oneself can be uniquely challenging, but research suggests accepting responsibility for whatever wrongdoing is an essential first step (though it also requires identifying when you are genuinely at fault in the first place). For deep emotional wounds, embarking on the journey toward forgiveness may be safer with the guidance of a trained psychotherapist.
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