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Cited by 282Sleep and Work-Related FatigueSleep and related disordersSleep and Wakefulness Research

The effect of sleep deprivation and restriction on mood, emotion, and emotion regulation: three meta-analyses in one

Open access
Tomaso, Cara C, Johnson, Anna B, Nelson, Timothy D·2021·SLEEP
DOI 10.1093/sleep/zsaa289PMC PMC8193556
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Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVES: New theory and measurement approaches have facilitated nuanced investigation of how sleep loss impacts dimensions of affective functioning. To provide a quantitative summary of this literature, three conceptually related meta-analyses examined the effect of sleep restriction and sleep deprivation on mood, emotion, and emotion regulation across the lifespan (i.e. from early childhood to late adulthood). METHODS: A total of 241 effect sizes from 64 studies were selected for inclusion, and multilevel meta-analytic techniques were used when applicable. RESULTS: There was a moderate, positive effect of sleep loss on negative mood (g = 0.45), which was stronger for studies with younger samples, as well as a large, negative effect of sleep loss on positive mood (g = -0.94). For negative mood only, studies that used total sleep deprivation had larger effect sizes than studies that restricted sleep. After correcting for publication bias, a modest but significant negative effect for sleep loss on emotion (g = -0.11) was found; the valence of emotional stimuli did not change the direction of this effect, and type of sleep manipulation was also not a significant moderator. Finally, sleep restriction had a small, negative effect on adaptive emotion regulation (g = -0.32), but no significant impact on maladaptive emotion regulation (g = 0.14); all studies on adaptive emotion regulation were conducted with youth samples. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep loss compromises optimal affective functioning, though the magnitude of effects varies across components. Findings underscore the importance of sleep for healthy affective outcomes.

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  • Sleep disturbances caused by pre-sleep worry extend beyond nighttime distress to broader health consequences such as mood disorders, emotional dysregulation, and cognitive impairment.

    “Moreover, sleep disturbances caused by pre-sleep worry extend beyond nigh ime distress to broader health consequences, such as mood disorders, emotional dysregulation, and cognitive impairment [5].”

    From Pre-Sleep Anxiety: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches in Clinical Practice. (2026) · cites this paper as [5]

    The Conclusions and Statement of Significance report that sleep loss worsens mood and adaptive emotion regulation, and the Introduction discusses possible longer-term mood disorders. The paper does not establish that pre-sleep worry caused the sleep disturbances, and the cited passages do not report cognitive impairment as an outcome. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Mild sleep restriction (~1 h) can disrupt emotional regulation.

    “It has been shown that mild sleep restriction (~1 h) can disrupt emotional regulation [80] and impair cognitive and behavioural function [81,82].”

    From The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2023) · cites this paper as [80]

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3 of the 142 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. [17]17. Leotta CR. Effects of Acute Sleep Restriction on Affective [dissertation]. Providence, RI: Brown University; 1999.† [Google Scholar]
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  4. [39]39. McNair DM, et al. Manual for the Profile of Mood States. San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service; 1971. [Google Scholar]
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Authors
Tomaso, C. C., Johnson, A. B., & Nelson, T. D.
Affiliations
University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US)
Corresponding author
Tomaso, Cara C
ORCID
Venue
SLEEP
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2020-12-26
Volume
44
Issue
6
ISSN
  • 0161-8105 (ISSN-L)
  • 1550-9109
DOI
10.1093/sleep/zsaa289
PMC
PMC8193556
OpenAlex
W3113921716
Cited by
282
References
142
Citations by year
2026: 70 · 2025: 73 · 2024: 61 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 8
FWCI
2.81
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model (vor)
Locations
  • SLEEP (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
  • National Institutes of Health (F31DK122636, R01DK125651, R01DK116693)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
Keywords
sleep deprivation, sleep restriction, mood, negative mood, positive mood, emotions, emotion regulation, adaptive emotion regulation, maladaptive emotion regulation, lifespan differences, emotional functioning
MeSH terms
Emotional Regulation, Adolescent, Adult, Affect, Child, Preschool, Emotions, Humans, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation

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