Editor choice: Let it rest: Sleep and health as positive correlates of forgiveness of others and self-forgiveness

Abstract

Objective: The present study examined forgiveness of others, self-forgiveness, sleep, and health in a nationally representative sample of United States adults. It was hypothesised that sleep would mediate the associations of forgiveness of others and self-forgiveness with health.

Design: A nationally representative survey of 1,423 United States adults.

Main Outcome Measures: Measures included forgiveness of others, self-forgiveness, sleep quantity, sleep quality, psychological distress, life satisfaction, and self-rated physical health.

Results: Forgiveness of others (β = .20, p < .001) and self-forgiveness (β = .11, p < .01) were associated with sleep and forgiveness of others (β = .24, p < .001) and self-forgiveness (β = .27, p < .001) were associated with health. Sleep was associated with health (β = .45, p < .001) and also acted as a mediator of the associations of forgiveness of others (β = .09, p < .01) and self-forgiveness (β = .05, p < .01) with health.

Conclusions: Forgiveness of others and self-forgiveness may attenuate emotions such as anger, regret, and rumination and provide a buffer between one’s own and others’ offenses occurring during the day and offer a restful mental state that supports sound sleep which, in turn, is associated with better health.

Keywords:

• forgiveness of others
• self-forgiveness
• sleep
• health
• mediation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported in part by the Fetzer Institute as part of the John Templeton Foundation's campaign for forgiveness research, and by grant T32-MH16806 from the National Institute of Mental Health, and by a Faculty Research Grant from the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Michigan.