This World Sleep Day (March 15, 2024), we consider the powerful effects that sleep and sleep quality can have on mental health.
World Sleep Day celebrates awareness of sleep health. Sleep and mental health are inextricably linked. Anyone who doesn’t sleep well for a few nights can attest to the effect it can have on mood, behavior, thoughts, and ability to think clearly or care for yourself or others. As one of the basic needs of humans, sleep and sleep quality can have a great impact on mental well-being.
Sleep problems can also be a symptom of mental illness. People with depression may be prone to sleeping longer and still feel very tired, not sleep much, or have difficulty falling asleep. Those with Poor quality sleep can have a lower quality of overall health.including mental health.
Getting a good night’s sleep is good for all of us
Sleep is a biological necessity and lack of sleep has a huge impact on health, well-being and public safety. Poor sleep quality can have a adverse effect on our performance at work and our physical health. Not getting enough sleep can also increase stress responses in the brain. However, young people could be less likely to experience a negative impact of sleep deprivation.
In the past, major industrial disasters such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill were related to inadequate sleep. Much research was carried out in response. Despite this effort, Inadequate sleep due to sleep disorders, work schedules and chaotic lifestyles. It is still not understood, prevented or treated as it could and continues to threaten both public health and safety.
Therefore, there is a global need to place greater emphasis on sleep health in education, clinical practice, hospital and long-term care, public health promotion, and the workplace. And of course, more research needs to be done on sleep health.
Lack of sleep is a global epidemic
The need for Sleeping well is a global problem in modern society. life and has an important impact on health. Sleeping well is important for good physical and mental health and a good quality of life. But our modern 24-hour society with constant access to information and stimulation could be contributing to lack of sleep. There is considerable evidence that lack of sleep causes many adverse medical and mental abnormalities.
Globally, sleep deprivation is widespread across all age groups. This is considered a public health epidemic that is often unrecognized, underreported, and has large economic costs. Lack of sleep causes our body to not function as it should, which in turn leads to a higher prevalence of heart disease, increased chances of diabetes, obesity, problems with cognitive functions, and traffic and workplace accidents.
Lack of sleep can also contribute to weight gain in young people and increased depressive symptoms. Teens who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight and experience symptoms of depression.
Sleep disruption can be caused by many things, from lifestyle and environment to sleep disorders and medical conditions. Some research suggests avoiding nicotine or caffeine It can help improve sleep quality in addition to having a positive relaxing ritual at bedtime. Other the findings suggest that there is no real correlation between where people live, sleep or even the amount of tea they drink and the quality of their sleep. Improving our quality dreaming may require some self-reflection, experimentation, and time.
Whatever the cause, The effects of lack of sleep, both short and long term, can be significant.. Short-term health is affected by lack of sleep, increased nervous system activity, impaired metabolism, increased inflammation, and more. Stress, muscle pain and emotional distress increase with reduced sleep and brain function is reduced. Long-term consequences include hypertension, heart problems, weight problems, and much more.
For some people, sleep deprivation can be acute. Acute sleep deprivation can have serious consequences including a significant impact on neurobehavioral function. For young people, chronic lack of sleep further impacts their developing brain, but the associated neurobehavioral functions in young adults require more research.
Can we really sleep it off?
While a good night’s sleep can help our physical and mental health, it is not a cure for mental illness. Mental illness is not caused solely by poor sleep quality nor can it be resolved simply by improving sleep. Dismissing mental health conditions as something that can be cured by “getting some sleep” or “I’ll feel better in the morning” could further exacerbate feelings of alienation, isolation, and loneliness. It is important to always take mental health conditions and mental health crises seriously if anyone, including yourself, is in danger.
However, as with many factors that contribute to mental illness, consistently reducing stress can improve mental well-being and consistent good quality sleep can help achieve this. But controlling our stress levels does not automatically eradicate our genetic predisposition to mental illness, other biological mechanisms, or circumstances in our lives that can contribute to the overwhelming thoughts and feelings of someone seriously struggling with mental illness.
Therefore, good quality sleep can, over a longer period of time, support mental well-being and reduce some of the risk factors associated with the development of mental illness. Therefore, poor sleep quality can have a negative impact and can cumulatively be detrimental to mental health.
One reason for this could be that sleep can help us process memories. and particularly the processing of emotional memory. This is only done during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which usually occurs during deeper sleep.
Improving our Sleep quality greatly improves our mental health.. Improving sleep can have a moderate or significant improvement in mental health by decreasing depression, anxiety, and rumination. It can also improve symptoms of stress and psychosis. Greater improvements in sleep quality lead to greater improvements in mental health, and lack of sleep or poor sleep quality can directly cause mental health problems.
Interestingly, there is a stronger relationship between Sleep quality and mental health. that between sleep quality and physical health.
Going to bed early or staying up late: how much is enough?
How much sleep is enough? This much debated question is difficult to answer as, as with many things when it comes to health and mental health in particular, one size does not fit all and one size does not fit one person forever.
Some people may find Sleeping 8 to 10 hours works best for them, but some find Sleeping 6 to 7 hours works best. Generally, Currently it is advisable to sleep 7 to 9 hours for adults and 9 to 11 hours of sleep per night for children and adolescents.
Women need more sleep than men, but just 11 more minutes. Women are more likely to experience more sleep-related problems and fall asleep faster than men. Women also spend more time in deep sleep, suggesting they need more recovery sleep than men. Menstruation, menopause, pregnancy and hormones and other experiences will affect a woman’s need for sleep more than the fluctuations that men may experience.
In general, our sleep needs can be very personal, very changeable, and while sleep is important, It’s probably not as important as Eat well and be physically active when creating a healthy lifestyle. This may be because, as with many things related to health, a domino effect can occur. One aspect impacts another. If we exercise, we may be more likely to eat well or sleep well. If we eat well we may be more likely to exercise and sleep well. But perhaps sleeping well doesn’t have as much of a causal effect on the other components of a healthier lifestyle.
Ultimately, taking care of our physical and mental health is a holistic effort, which includes our sleep health.
