In our fast-paced society, we often sacrifice sleep in hopes to increase productivity, feel successful, and keep up with the overwhelming demands of everyday life. Many view sleep as “optional” or something that can be done at the end of the day once everything else is taken care of. However, sleep is not an optional lifestyle, as it is a critical pillar for physical and mental health.
Over the past ten years, researchers have come to understand a bit more about the strong and complicated relationship between sleep and mental health. Their findings are rather simple: the way we sleep affects every aspect of our emotional and psychological functioning.
We need sleep for healing, cognitive performance, mood stability, and resilience. When we don’t sleep or sleep is interrupted, it can disrupt brain chemistry, increase emotional reactivity, and heighten a person’s risk for mental health disorders. Understanding this relationship is the first step to enhancing mental health and it begins with recognizing just how related mental health and sleep truly are.
The Connection Between Sleep and Mental Health Is Bidirectional
They affect each other. Sleep can exacerbate the impact of mental health challenges, and mental health challenges can affect sleep.
Anxiety is one example. A person with anxiety is often experiencing racing thoughts, worry in the middle of the night, and increased physiological arousal which makes it hard to fall asleep at all or stay asleep. Likewise, chronic insomnia can increase feelings of anxiety and make it harder to calm the brain down, contributing to an “anxiety spiral” in which anxiety causes sleep challenges and sleep challenges exacerbate anxiety.
A similar pattern exists for depression. Individuals experiencing depression may sleep very little— tossing and turning for hours —or they may experience hypersomnia resulting in excessive sleep. Sleep disturbances will typically worsen some of the symptoms of depression by affecting emotional regulation and motivation, and affect their ability to focus.
Many other mental health disorders with sleep disturbance include bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD, and even substance use disorders. Sleep is more than sleep. It is a significant regulator of mental health. The brain simply does not function as well without it. When we are in the sleep cycle, the brains ability to keep emotional regulation is diminished.
Cognitive and Emotional Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Diminished sleep has many consequences beyond the experience of fatigue. Sleep allows the brain to prepare and manage thoughts, process emotions, and maintain cognitive integrity. Deep and restorative sleep is integral to brain health, allowing several structures to rest and regain their normal function.
One of the structures that generally is most impaired is the prefrontal cortex of the brain that is responsible for rational thought, judgment, decision-making, impulse suppression, and problem-solving. During sleep deprivation, rational thinking is challenged because these structures lose their normal and needed activation to maintain normal behavioral and thought processes. Our ability to concentrate, plan, and think clearly is diminished.
Simultaneously, an area of the limbic region of the brain called the amygdala becomes more activated. The switch in functioning of these two structures raises the possible severity of stress reactions, irritability, difficulty in coping with stressors, impulsivity, and mood cycling. The frustration converts to a reckoning of stress that feels subjective, and tasks become overwhelming.
The two areas—recall thinking to behavior and memory systems to stress?—lead to symptoms that mimic psychiatric disorders like paranoia or hallucinations, from which the psyche cannot gain perspective on calms thoughts from real environmental stimuli.
Additionally, this has been found to predict a greater possibility for self-harm ideation in sleep deprivation—especially adolescents.
The Role of Sleep in Memory and Emotion Processing
In addition to its role in mood and cognition, memory and emotional processing is a key role of sleep. The brain organizes information in deep sleep; this process solidifies or consolidates learning, and pushes non-essential information away. REM sleep, the sleep stage that aligns with dreaming behaviors, helps the brain process emotional experiences, while reducing the intensity of any painful memories.
When sleep is disturbed or shortened, the function of sleep occurs but is often interrupted. Emotions cannot be processed appropriately, and this often leads to:
- difficulty letting go of stressful events
- rumination or overthinking
- heightened emotional reactivity
- poor retrieval of memory
Therefore, it is no wonder that after a bad night or a minimal amount of sleep, individuals feel more emotional or “foggy” in their thinking. This detail emphasizes the importance of sleep on an ongoing basis for the emotional well-being to be stable.
Enhancing Sleep for Improved Mental Health
Given that sleep significantly influences emotional wellness, adopting healthy sleep behaviors (commonly referred to as sleep hygiene) is among the most efficient ways to build emotional health and psychological stability. Here are some very practical ways to support sleep:
Stick to a Regular Sleep Schedule
Be consistent with your schedule for going to bed and waking up every day—even on weekends! A regular rhythm will help reset your internal clock.
Avoid Screens Before Sleep
Screens from phones, tablets, and laptops emit blue light that reduces melatonin production, the hormone that tells your body to sleep. Therefore, avoid screens for at least one hour before bed.
Create a Calming Sleep Routine
Using cues like reading, stretching, meditation, or warm tea can help prepare the mind and the body to wind down.
Avoid Late Day Caffeine and Alcohol
Caffeine is a stimulant, and alcohol can induce sleepiness but tends to greatly interfere with sleep quality. Avoid both for several hours before sleeping.
Make Your Sleep Environment Comfortable
A comfortable environment will facilitate sleeping. Strive for your sleep area to be cool, quiet, and dark if possible. Consider investing in a supportive mattress and pillow, if possible.
Conclusion: Sleep Is Important for Mental Health
The link between sleep and mental health is undeniable. Good quality sleep is crucial for emotional stability, mental clarity, resilience, and general well-being. When you take sleep seriously, and make it a priority, you are protecting good mental health. Sleep is not a privilege, as it is a basic necessity. How you slept at night, affects how you feel, think, and are able to function every day.
Good mental hygiene starts with good sleep hygiene.