University of Nottingham study finds link between bad sleep and conspiracy theory beliefs

Experts from Nottingham University’s School of Psychology have found a link between poor sleep quality and the susceptibility to conspiracy theories.

The study involving 1000 people revealed that those who slept badly and demonstrated signs of depression, anxiety, and paranoia were more likely to believe something untrue or made up than those who had a good rest.

Dr Daniel Jolley tells us more about the findings:

"Sleep is crucial for mental health and cognitive functioning. Poor sleep has been shown to increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and paranoia - factors that also contribute to conspiracy beliefs.

"Our research suggests that improving sleep quality could serve as a protective factor against the spread of conspiratorial thinking."

Conspiracy theories claim that powerful, secretive groups act in their own self-interest, to the detriment of society. These beliefs can have serious consequences, such as increasing vaccine hesitancy, climate change scepticism, and political distrust.

In the first study, 540 participants completed a standardised sleep quality assessment before reading an article about the Notre Dame Cathedral fire in Paris. Some were exposed to a conspiracy narrative suggesting a deliberate cover-up, while others read a factual account attributing the fire to an accident. The researchers found that those with poorer sleep quality were more likely to believe the conspiratorial version of events.

A second study with 575 participants expanded on these findings by investigating the underlying psychological mechanisms that explain the link between poor sleep quality and conspiracy beliefs. The results showed that both poor sleep quality and insomnia were positively linked to the endorsement of conspiracy theories, with depression emerging as a mechanism. Anger and paranoia also played a role, but their effects were less consistent.

These findings highlight the potential for sleep-focused interventions to mitigate susceptibility to conspiracy theories. By addressing sleep quality, individuals may be better equipped to critically evaluate information and resist misleading narratives.

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