Bad day? You CAN sleep it off

HAVING an embarrassing moment today won’t seem so bad tomorrow.

That is, unless you’re an insomniac, research has found.

Getting a good night’s sleep helps the brain resolve emotions and deal with cringe-worthy experiences.

By contrast, scientists found insomniacs remain haunted by embarrassing moments. It is speculated that their brains have not had the chance provided by sleep to deal with the episode.

Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience studied 27 insomniacs and 30 normal sleepers. They were asked to remember their most shameful experiences while having MRI scans. They were then asked to do the same the next day.

The brainwaves in the sleepers showed the feelings had neutralised, with little reaction in the limbic system, the area of the brain that governs emotion. But the insomniacs showed a strong reaction in this area, the journal Brain reports.

Co-author Rick Wassing said: ‘Sayings like “sleeping on it” to “get things off your mind” reflect our nocturnal digestion of daytime experiences.’ Around 7 per cent of people suffer from insomnia.