If you've been feeling stressed or even mentally unstable

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 44 to 50.

If you've been feeling stressed or even mentally unstable over the past few months, the lack of sleep can be partly responsible. According to a new research paper, sleep deprivation dampens our enthusiasm about positive events, and makes it harder to feel hopeful when we’re under stress.
In this 2020 study, researchers surveyed nearly 2,000 adults in the United States. For eight days, participants received a phone call each evening in which they were asked to report how much they had slept the night before, whether they had experienced any stressful or positive events, and their overall levels of negative and positive emotions.
When participants got more sleep, they had higher levels of positive emotions and lower levels of negative emotions the next day. Moreover, sleep impacted how the events of the day affected them. On days when participants had a stressful event, they felt more positive if they had got a good night's sleep beforehand. And, on days when good things happened, participants experienced an even greater boost in positive emotions if they were well-rested the night before. These benefits were even more pronounced for people who had a greater number of chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
According to Nancy Sin, assistant professor at the University of British Columbia and lead author of the paper, aside from its well-known benefits for mental health, sleep deprivation can impact relationships with others in our social circle. First, the irritability that results from it can harm relationships directly, which might be a reason to delay serious conversations until a day when you're more rested. Furthermore, because positive emotions play a crucial role in building strong relationships, not experiencing as many positive emotions when you lack sleep could make it harder to cultivate a sense of connection with others.
The good news is that simple changes can help us improve and enjoy the emotional benefits of sleep. Things like keeping a regular sleep schedule, exercising, and limiting unnecessary light and noise in your bedroom can all lead to better sleep. One major advice Sin offers is to limit screen time before bed-research suggests that electronics can emit blue light that interferes with sleep – and consider switching to a more relaxing activity like reading or listening to calming music. For those who live with family or roommates, Sin emphasizes that the behaviours of those we live with can disrupt our sleep. Therefore, consider, for example, making a pact with household members to limit screen time, and holding each other accountable.
(Adapted from https://www.inc.com/)