For Better Sleep: Forgive!

The key to getting better sleep may be FORGIVENESS! And not just forgiving someone who’s wronged you – but forgiving yourself!

According to a study in the journal Psychology and Health, researchers asked study subjects to either forgive themselves for the things they did wrong, or to forgive others for hurting them. And the people who forgave were more likely to sleep better and for longer, and have better physical health. They were also more satisfied with life.

This was true of people who were more forgiving of others and people who were more forgiving of themselves. The researchers say forgiveness can help people leave the day’s regrets and mistakes in the past and create a buffer between the events of the day and getting to sleep. Otherwise, we might have too much on our minds to get any rest. That’s because people who don’t forgive tend to linger on negative thoughts and feelings, like anger, blame, and regret. That can cause thinking to spiral with repetitive and stressful thoughts.

So, forgiveness could be something that helps you get better sleep tonight and feel better the following day.