Poor sleep can make you more susceptible to conspiracy theories

Poor sleep can make you susceptible to a wide range of physical and mental health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and anxiety. But new research indicates it may also increase the chances of yet another unwanted outcome: embracing conspiracy theories.

A team from the University of Nottingham’s School of Psychology recently conducted two experiments on a total of over 1,000 volunteers. The results, published on March 12 in the Journal of Health Psychology, suggest adding bad sleep quality on top of existing issues like depression can make people more susceptible to patently untrue conspiracies. The odds for adopting such beliefs may especially increase if tired people are exposed to conspiratorial content from outside sources as opposed to coming to similarly false conclusions on their own.

For their first study, researchers asked 540 participants to complete a standardized sleep quality assessment before reading one of two articles about the 2019 Notre Dame Cathedral fire in Paris. While some volunteers received a verified rundown of the devastating accident, others reviewed a story that falsely stated the blaze involved a cover-up conspiracy. After surveying the participants, researchers noted those who previously cited worse sleep quality entertained the Notre Dame Cathedral conspiracy more often than their well-rested counterparts.

The next phase expanded on the team’s initial work through reviewing another 575 people’s psychological profiles and beliefs. After analyzing the data, researchers argue that there is often a direct link between a conspiracy theory mindset and poor sleep or insomnia. In many cases, depression emerged as the major underlying psychological mechanism behind conspiratorial thinking.

“Sleep is crucial for mental health and cognitive functioning,” Daniel Jolley, the study’s research lead and a University of Nottingham assistant professor of social psychology, said in a statement.

“Poor sleep has been shown to increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and paranoia—factors that also contribute to conspiracy beliefs,” he added.

Buying into conspiracies doesn’t just result in a newfound affinity for tin foil hats—subscribing to these beliefs can have much wider societal effects. Distrust of data-backed vaccine efficacy lowers a society’s overall resilience against infectious diseases like measles, COVID-19, and tuberculosis. Misinformation surrounding climate change has for decades hampered ongoing efforts to combat its existential risks to humanity and our planet. Meanwhile, the embrace of stolen election conspiracies and fears about secret, nonexistent international cabals has given way to multiple deadly and tragic outcomes.

People also often become extremely resistant to giving up a conspiracy mindset after succumbing to it. While it is possible to do so, be it through personal reflection or with the help of others, it’s easier to avoid the situation altogether by maintaining critical thinking skills in the face of a landscape of increasing misinformation and false narratives. One way to do that is by getting a good night’s rest.

“Our research suggests that improving sleep quality could serve as a protective factor against the spread of conspiratorial thinking,” Jolley said.

So the next time someone tries to sell you on an unequivocally bonkers conspiracy, do yourself a favor and sleep on it, at the very least.

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