Mental health and sleep have a two-sided relationship. Sleep can affect mental health, and mental health disorders can affect sleep. A good night’s sleep can promote mental and emotional strength, while chronic sleep challenges can lead to emotional vulnerability.
Understanding the importance of sleep and learning ways to promote better sleep are steps you can take for your emotional and physical health.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health concern, please seek support. Compassionate help and advice from licensed mental health professionals are available.
Sleep and Its Effects on Mental Health:
Types of sleep are related to health, as are the amount and quality of sleep. Sleep disruption can affect thinking and emotional regulation. Levels of stress hormones are affected by sleep.
Two Categories of Sleep:
1. “Quiet Sleep” :
- The body goes through four stages of deep sleep.
- Muscles relax and breathing and heart rate slow.
- In the deepest stage, physiological changes occur, and the body boosts its immune system.
2. REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep :
- During the time of REM sleep, people dream.
- Breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure increase.
- Research shows that in complex ways, REM sleep boosts learning, memory, and mental health.
Sleep Deprivation and Mental Health:
Researchers believe that because the overlap between sleep disorders and some mental health disorders is strong, they might share biological roots.
Two common mental health disorders have a relationship with sleep challenges:
1. Sleep and Depression:
- The majority of people living with depression experience insomnia—difficulty falling or staying asleep.
- Insomnia and other sleep problems increase the risk of developing depression.
2. Sleep and Anxiety:
- The majority of people living with an anxiety disorder also experience sleep problems.
- Insomnia may also be a risk factor for anxiety.
How to Improve Your Sleep:
Practicing these data-based steps may help you improve your sleep:
1. Reduce or eliminate certain substances and food-
- Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine can disrupt sleep.
- Heavy meals too close to bedtime might also keep you up.
2. Get moving-
- Regular physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.
- However, you should avoid exercising too close to bedtime.
3. Try relaxation techniques-
- Meditation, deep breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation can all be helpful for getting restful sleep.
4. Maintain a regular sleep and wake schedule-
- Consistently going to bed at night and getting up at the same time in the morning can lead to more restorative sleep.
- Try sticking with the recommended 7–8 hours of sleep a night.
- Limit naps during the day, and avoid napping late in the day.
5. Keep the room comfortable for sleeping-
- Sleep in a dark, quiet room, without computers or televisions on.
- Find a temperature that’s comfortable for you.
6. Manage your worries before bedtime-
- Try writing down your worries and setting them aside until the next day.
- Practice good organizational and time management skills.
- Feeling organized and knowing what to prioritize can help you feel calmer and increase the likelihood of falling asleep quickly and staying asleep.
7. Limit exposure to blue light (the light commonly used by electronics) before bed-
- Avoid looking at bright screens in the hours before bed.
- Consider wearing blue-light filtering glasses and turning electronics to night mode if you have to use them later in the day.
8. Choose the right pillows and mattress-
- If you wake up achy or if allergies bother you, you might consider investing in a new pillow, mattress, or mattress cover.
Benefits of Sleep:
Adequate, restorative sleep offers big health boosts. Regular sleep and the right amount of sleep may offer a lengthy list of benefits, including:
- Better concentration.
- Stronger immunity.
- Feelings of happiness and calmness related to sleep regularity.
- Increased life satisfaction, which is linked to sleep quality, according to research.
- More regular stress levels.
- Stronger memory.
- Enhanced mood.
- Improved work performance.
- Potential protection from accidents and disease.
We spend about a third of our lives sleeping. Make the most of those valuable hours that can enhance your happiness, health, and productivity.
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