Sleep and Mental Health

Sleep and Mental Health

Getting a good night's sleep is crucial for our mental and physical health, and is often something we put on the back burner. According to the CDC, 1 in 3 adults feel they don’t get enough sleep. Research suggests adults need 7 hours of sleep a night, and less than this can lead to health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. Lack of sleep also makes it significantly more difficult to regulate the emotions that are exacerbated by the sleep deprivation. In this blog I will talk about the effects sleep deprivation can have on our mental health, common reasons we aren’t getting enough sleep, and some tips to increase your sleep quality.  

Anyone who has gotten a bad night’s sleep can understand the negative emotional impacts. For some, decreased sleep can cause depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, or irritability and anger. Those of us with mental health issues to begin with, sleep deprivation can increase these symptoms further, and the lack of energy reduces our ability to manage these emotions. Lack of sleep slows down our thought processing, which leads to more difficult concentrating and making thoughtful decisions. Sleep deprivation affects us all differently, consider how you feel after a good and bad night's rest

There are so many reasons why we don’t get enough sleep, one of the most common ones I hear is that it feels like there is too much to do and not enough time. Many of us practice what is called “revenge bedtime procrastination”, which is staying up later than intended, typically to engage in leisure activities. Often, we do this because it can feel like late night is the only time we have to engage in “me time”. Others may experience anxiety for the day ahead, or about their neverending to-do list. To fall asleep we need to have a sense of relaxation, which can feel impossible when we’re experiencing anxiety. Take time to think about what factors may be affecting your sleep. 

Depending on what is keeping you up at night, there are different solutions we can use to help us fall asleep. For those with revenge bedtime procrastination, it can be especially helpful to set up times earlier in the day to engage in pleasant “me time” activities. It is also helpful to create a consistent bedtime routine, this helps train us to prepare to get ready to go to sleep. Some people find that creating a comfortable bed and bedroom environment helps them feel relaxed. Consider if your bedroom feels like a comforting environment and if there is anything you can do to increase comfortability. So many of us let messes in our bedrooms pile up, and for some of us this can really create distress, cleaning your room may help you feel relaxed in the space. Others find that exercise or movement during the day helps to burn some excess energy. One particularly helpful practice to use when we struggle to fall asleep is meditation. Practicing meditation is another fantastic way to increase relaxation as we try to fall asleep.  I often recommend body-scan meditations for those who are struggling to fall asleep. Check out this 10-minute body-scan meditation specific to sleep.