Morning Optimism: Is Everything Really Better After a Night’s Sleep?
For those of us who watched the Super Bowl, the night might have felt long—especially depending on which team we were rooting for. As the game ended, some of us may have found ourselves saying, “Everything will be better in the morning.” But is that just a comforting phrase, or do we truly believe that things improve after a night’s rest?
Researchers decided to explore this question. Do people genuinely feel that things are better in the morning? And if so, is there a scientific reason behind this optimism? A large-scale study conducted at University College London examined the mental well-being of over 49,000 individuals to determine whether people’s outlooks actually improve after sleep.
The study assessed participants' mental health by examining factors such as depression, anxiety, happiness, life satisfaction, and loneliness. Participants answered questions like:
“In the past week, how happy did you feel?”
“How satisfied have you been with your life?”
“To what extent do you feel that the things you do in life are worthwhile?”
The findings revealed a distinct pattern: People generally felt their best in the morning, with their mood declining by midnight, when they felt their worst. Additionally, mood trends varied by season, with people feeling better overall during the summer months.
Interestingly, the study also found that emotions fluctuated more on weekends but remained steadier during the workweek. Mondays and Fridays were reported as the happiest days, followed closely by Tuesdays. However, Sundays were associated with lower levels of happiness. Notably, loneliness remained constant throughout the week.
One possible explanation for this trend lies in cortisol, a hormone that plays a key role in stress response, blood sugar regulation, inflammation reduction, and immune function. Cortisol levels peak shortly after waking and are at their lowest around bedtime. Researchers speculate that this morning surge may contribute to the optimism many people feel upon waking.
The study also considered additional factors such as age, overall health, and employment status. While more research is needed to fully understand these patterns, the findings suggest that, for most people, things do seem better in the morning.
That is—unless your team lost the Super Bowl.
