Atheists likely to have better sleep at night than Catholics, study finds

The study on Sleep, Religious Affiliation and Perceptions of the Afterlife, found that atheists are much more likely to get better sleep and enjoy it than Catholics and Baptists.

According to the research team from Baylor University in Texas, USA, the church has made great strides in talking about mental health but has largely ignored sleep disorders.

"Mental health is increasingly discussed in church settings -- as it should be -- but sleep health is not discussed," said Kyla Ferguson, the lead author of the research.

Results from the 1,501 participants in the Baylor Religion Survey indicated that 73% of atheists reported having the recommended seven hours of night sleep, even more, while 63% of Catholics and 55% of Baptists reported getting at least seven hours of sleep in a night.

According to Ferguson, by ignoring sleep health, the church unwittingly sabotages any progress made towards mental wellness because sleep disorders compromise the fundamental principles of religion.

"Yet we know that sleep loss undercuts many human abilities that are considered to be core values of the church: being a positive member of a social community, expressing love and compassion rather than anger or judgment, and displaying integrity in moral reasoning and behavior," she said.

In fact, sleep could be a driving factor for deeper faith and the ability to cultivate overall wellness among believers in the general public.

"Could getting better sleep help some people grow in their faith or become better Christians? We don't know the answer to that question yet, but we do know that mental, physical and cognitive health are intertwined with sleep health in the general population," she added.

In the survey, the questions targeted religious affiliation, perceptions and behaviour. Alongside the questions, the participants rated the average total sleep duration and level of difficulty falling asleep.

The results indicated that those who slept for the recommended hours were more inclined to believe that they were going to Heaven, although this perception did not reflect on their difficulty to fall asleep.

The researchers concluded that better sleep promotes an optimistic attitude of life which is demonstrated in the positive expectations for the Afterlife.

The research was supported by John Templeton Foundation and was presented during the August 28-30, 2020 virtual SLEEP meeting of sleep societies.