Understanding the Role of Sleep in Mental Health

Sleep is important for both physical and mental health. You will soon notice the health effects when you lack sleep throughout the week, whether that is mental or physical impact. On a small scale, it can be you being moody with friends. On a larger scale, you could be dealing with anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression or even schizophrenia. 

There is no surprise that a poor night’s sleep causes all of this additional mental health. That is why you must get enough sleep during the week, especially during the week when you are working. 

Helps With Your Circadian Rhythm

If you are unsure what circadian rhythm is. It helps with several functions such as your sleep cycle, controlling body temperature, immune system, hormones, metabolism, cognitive function and how you deal with stress. 

Our bodies are very complex and they can be technical. Think about it, if your body goes over the temperature of 38 degrees then it can be considered a health risk. The same goes for your body temperature going below a temperature, also known as hypothermia. That is why we need to sleep as this helps with the circadian rhythm of assisting with bodily functions to help control your body temperature. 

The human body has many organs and these have to be synced with the brain. Treat it like a clock for each organ where the primary organ has to sync with the reset. That is what the circadian rhythm assists with. 

If your circadian rhythm is disturbed, this can impact your health. It can also cause sleeping disorders and other physiological disturbances. If you don’t have enough sleep, it can impact your learning capabilities and your attention span can deteriorate. Not only this but your long-term memory can also be affected. As you can see, there are many things that can be interrupted if your sleep schedule is disrupted. 

So How Does Good Sleep Benefit Your Brain? 

The brain is one of the most important organs in our body, second to the heart. The brain is a very powerful tool that we can use to help with our daily functions and activities. Additionally, it helps with our emotions and receives information throughout the day. The brain is almost 24/7 and the only time when it can rest is at night. 

Sleep stabilises the clocks in our body although it is also where we store our memories and instinctual behaviours are practised. 

If you have had a hectic day and your mind has been busy then you will feel drained. It will make you want to go to sleep. Once you have slept, your brain will feel refreshed and ready to go again. That is why good quality sleep is so important. 

The Stats and Figures That Highlight The Importance Of Sleep With Mental 

For those who suffer from mental disorders, they may find it difficult to sleep. It can worsen their mental disorders. There have been several studies which have solidified the importance of sleep. For example, in 2022, the NHS found that 64% of people aged between 17 to 23 had issues with their sleep three or more times throughout the previous seven nights. Of those who had mental disorders, 89.5% of them had issues with their sleep. 

There is no surprise that there is a higher number of people who have issues with sleep and also suffer from mental disorders. However, it is also likely that these mental disorders affect the quality of people’s sleep. 

Getting beyond those mental disorders can be hard so you should always seek help, especially if it is affecting your sleep. 

So How Do You Improve Your Quality of Sleep

Improving your quality of sleep doesn’t happen overnight and for some people, they may require therapy. Social rhythm therapy has been proven to help people with sleeping disorders. It helps people get back into their daily routines and helps with recovering the biological circadian rhythm process and sleep plays a vital role in this. Moreover, studies have identified that this therapy has helped with anxiety, bipolar, OCD, and other mood disorders. 

Social rhythm therapy teaches those who suffer from mental health disorders how to cope with stressful life situations. It also stabilises circadian timing that again, helps with your sleep. 

Something else you can do is mentally train your brain that you are going to bed. For example, some people read before bed which mentally gives off signals to their brain that they are ready to go to sleep. It is these little habits before you go to bed that can train your brain to think you are ready to sleep. Reading, a skincare routine or, putting on tattoo cream before you go to sleep are all great ways to let your brain know you are ready to go to sleep. 

Bright Light Exposure During The Day

There are many things that you can do to ensure you are getting a better night’s sleep however, people overlook the simple methods of sleeping. Bright light exposure is a great way to improve your circadian rhythm. The benefit of this is that it can improve your daytime energy.

Technology Ban Before Bed

In the evenings, you should reduce the amount of screen time you have before bed. Bright lights from your phone, computer and games console can all distrust your circadian rhythm. This means you can wake up in the middle of the night just because your brain is too active at night. If you want to ensure you get a good night’s sleep, consider reading before bed or watching television instead of staring at small screens. 

Don’t Consume Caffeine Before Bed

To help improve your quality of sleep, consider reducing your caffeine intake. If you are someone who consumes a lot of caffeine during the day, you should put a caffeine ban on yourself after a certain time. Don’t drink any caffeine after 5 PM so your body knows it is starting to feel tired. 

Summary

In the UK, around 1 in 5 people suffer from poor quality of sleep. One of the causes for this is mental disorders however, there are other things that can impact your sleep. For example, 25% of adults mention that money negatively impacts their sleep. That includes not being able to pay bills or can’t afford to treat themselves. Maybe they have lost money to a trading scam and this has resulted in money struggles. However, stress from work has also been proven to also affect people’s quality of sleep.

It should always be a priority to get good quality sleep because that will help with your mental health. Yes, it will take a while to resolve but if you encourage the right habits before bed and you consider social rhythm therapy, you will soon see your sleep quality improve.