Which personality type is the 'culprit' that causes you to lose sleep?

People with emotional instability are prone to sleep disorders - Photo: FREEPIK

Neuroscience News quoted researchers at the University of São Paulo (Brazil) as saying that people with highly open personalities rarely have insomnia, while people with emotional instability are more likely to have sleep disorders.

Personality traits that contribute to insomnia

"We studied the influence of personality traits on insomnia because it is an extremely common disorder and has negative health consequences, such as 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. It is estimated that about 30% of the world's population suffers from this problem, characterized by difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, or difficulty returning to sleep after waking up unintentionally.

In Brazil, specifically in the city of São Paulo, the figure is even higher. Almost half of the population (45%) suffers from insomnia, according to data from the Epidemiology of Sleep Studies (EPISONO).

"According to the Big Five theory, we all have varying degrees of five personality traits. These are characteristics that reflect a person's patterns of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. They are a set of factors that shape each person's personality and character," Conway explains, linking personality traits to the risk of insomnia.

These five personality traits include extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness.

Sensitive people are more prone to insomnia.

Conway found that insomniacs scored significantly higher on neuroticism than normal sleepers, and also scored lower on agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness. Extraversion alone did not show any significant differences.

“Sensitivity was the most prominent trait, with rates much higher in insomniacs. But we cannot conclude that insomniacs are introverts,” Conway notes.

The team also found that anxiety plays a mediating role. It is anxiety symptoms that promote sensitivity-induced insomnia.

Research suggests that identifying common personality traits in insomniacs may help with assessment, prevention, and individualized treatment planning.

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

5 personality traits according to the Big Five theory

- Extrovert : Lively , decisive, and tend to be leaders. They enjoy group activities, easily establish relationships and get close to others, and often show confidence.

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

- Agreeableness : This trait is related to empathy. People with high levels of agreeableness are often friendly, polite, and considerate of others, even tending to put others before themselves.

- Open to experience : Open people are often creative, curious and like to explore new things. They are imaginative and tend to have strong emotions.

- Conscientiousness : People with high levels of conscientiousness are often persistent, motivated, committed to their goals, and willing to sacrifice current enjoyment to achieve long-term goals. However, too high a level of conscientiousness can lead to perfectionism.

DAWN

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