What personality type is the culprit behind your insomnia?

A recent study has found that certain personality traits may be a reason for insomnia.

People who are often emotionally unstable are very prone to sleep disorders - Photo: FREEPIK

Neuroscience News , citing researchers at the University of São Paulo (Brazil), reports that people with highly outgoing personalities rarely suffer from insomnia, while those who are emotionally unstable are much more prone to sleep disorders.

Personality traits can contribute to insomnia.

"We study the influence of personality traits on insomnia because it's an extremely common disorder with negative health consequences, such as an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, anxiety, and depression. These physical and mental health problems lead to a decline in quality of life," said sleep psychologist Bárbara Araújo Conway.

According to the authors, insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders in adults. An estimated 30% of the world's population suffers from this problem, characterized by difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or difficulty falling back asleep after waking up unexpectedly.

In Brazil, specifically in the city of São Paulo, the number is even higher. Nearly half the population (45%) suffers from insomnia, according to data from the Epidemiological Study of Sleep (EPISONO).

"According to the Big Five theory, we all have varying degrees of five personality traits. These traits reflect a person's patterns of emotion, thought, and behavior. They are the set of elements that shape each person's personality and nature," Conway explained, linking personality traits to the risk of insomnia.

These five personality traits include extroversion, sensitivity, agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness.

Sensitive people are more prone to insomnia.

Conway found that people with insomnia had significantly higher sensitivity scores than normal individuals, while also scoring lower on agreeable, open, and conscientious traits. Extroversion, however, showed no significant difference.

"Sensitivity is the most prominent trait, with a much higher rate among those with insomnia. But we cannot conclude that people with insomnia are introverts," Conway noted.

The research team also found that anxiety acts as a mediating mechanism. It is the symptoms of anxiety that promote sensitization-induced insomnia.

Research suggests that identifying common personality traits in people with insomnia is crucial for assessing, preventing, and developing personalized treatment plans.

To treat insomnia, it is necessary to assess and treat the accompanying anxiety. The research results were published in the Journal of Sleep Research .

5 personality traits according to the Big Five theory.

- Extroverts : Active , decisive, and have a tendency towards leadership. They enjoy group activities, easily establish relationships and get along well with others, and often display self-confidence.

- Sensitivity : People with high levels of sensitivity are often unstable and tend to focus on the negative aspects of life. They are prone to breakdowns, sensitive to stress, and react strongly to adversity , often associated with anxiety and depression.

- Pleasantness : This trait relates to empathy. People with high levels of pleasantness are usually friendly, polite, and caring towards others, even tending to put others before themselves.

- Open to new experiences : Open-minded people are often creative, curious, and enjoy exploring new things. They are imaginative and tend to have strong emotional tendencies.

- Dedication : People with a high level of dedication are usually persistent, motivated, committed to their goals, and willing to sacrifice present pleasures to achieve long-term objectives. However, excessive dedication can lead to perfectionism.

DAWN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/kieu-tinh-cach-nao-la-thu-pham-khien-ban-mat-ngu-20250520235501656.htm