The Importance Of Sleep On Mental Health

Sleep is as important to our health as eating, drinking and breathing. It allows our bodies to repair themselves and our brains to consolidate our memories and process information.

According to the Harvard Medical Review, scientists have discovered that sleep disruption — which affects levels of neurotransmitters and stress hormones, among other things — wreaks havoc in the brain, impairing thinking and emotional regulation.

Getting proper sleep absolutely needs to be taken seriously when it comes to maintaining good mental health.

Here are 3 benefits of a good night’s sleep on your mental health:

Lowers your stress

Researchers suggest that sleep deprivation makes us more irritable and we react negatively to minor annoyances and interruptions. A survey from the American Psychological Association also reported that adults who slept fewer than eight hours a night were more likely to report symptoms of stress than those who slept eight or more hours.

Lower the likelihood of depression

Poor sleep and depression are very closely linked; treating one condition will often improve the other. The Harvard Mental Health Newsletter states that “Once viewed only as symptoms, sleep problems may actually contribute to psychiatric disorders”. People who sleep poorly are much more likely to develop significant mental illness, including depression and anxiety, than those who sleep well.

Boost your immunity

Being ill sucks. You can feel low, tired and unable to cope with life’s challenges. If you seem to catch every cold and flu that's going around, your bedtime could be to blame. Prolonged lack of sleep can disrupt your immune system, so you're less able to fend off bugs.

“Sleep disruption wreaks havoc in the brain, impairing thinking and emotional regulation”

— Harvard Medical Review

How can you get a better night’s sleep?

Clear your mind before bed

In the middle of the night, we find it difficult to be rational. Being awake when it seems the rest of the world is asleep can make us feel very alone; this is a breeding ground for anxiety and depression.

To help overcome this, allocate a 20-minute time slot each day and practice one of my free sleep meditations available on my website www.michaelandrew.tv.

Other helpful sleep tools:

A regular bedtime and waking time are essential, as are avoiding stimulants before going to bed (cigarettes and caffeine), having enough exercise during the day (not too close to bedtime), eating well and ensuring that the bedroom is quiet and dark and the bed is comfortable. Removing all electronic screens from the bedroom is difficult for some people, but mobile phones, computers and televisions in the bedroom are a major cause of sleep disruption. Some people may need to seek the assistance of a sleep psychologist.

FEATURE RECAP:

Poor sleep and depression are very closely linked
Sleep is as important to our health as eating, drinking and breathing.
Being awake when the rest of the world is asleep can make us feel very alone