The Importance of Sleep by Chloe Ford
Sleep is one of the most important parts of our lives for us to function, as it is a time of rest and recharge for one’s body. There are many factors to sleep: quality, amount, and the development of your sleep cycle. These needs, if not met, can have detrimental impacts on your health. The Sleep Foundation states “Without enough sleep, the brain cannot function properly. This can impair your ability to concentrate, think clearly, and process memories.”
(Sleepfoundation.org). Not only can it impair cognitive function, but it can also be “linked to a higher risk for certain diseases and medical conditions. These include obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, poor mental health, and early death.” (Sleepfoundation.org). As sleep can affect so many aspects of our daily lives, there are ways to help meet the amount necessary to be fulfilled, improve the quality, and develop a healthy sleep cycle.
To better address whether or not you need to evaluate your sleep habits, you can answer if these statements are true or not from Dartmouth's Why Sleep:
“It takes you at least an hour to fall asleep every night of the week.
You can't get out of bed when the alarm sounds.
You worry about getting enough sleep most nights of the week.
When you wake up in the night, you can't get back to sleep.
You use sleeping pills or alcohol to help you sleep.
You feel exhausted from lack of sleep.
You sleep in or take daytime naps to make up for lack of sleep.
You get drowsy during the day, or need caffeine to stay alert.”
(students.dartmouth.edu). As you read the statements above did you answer true to any of them? If so, you may have bad sleep habits that threaten the balance of your sleep needs. Some of these bad habits may include having an irregular sleep schedule, getting insufficient (as well as horrible quality) sleep, emotional stress, being physically ill, having alcohol or caffeine close to bedtime, and much more.
After evaluating sleep habits, think of ways to improve and form better ones! Ways to form better habits could be to maintain a sleep schedule. This may be deciding upon a bedtime and wake time. Our bodies have something called a Circadian Rhythm, which “is a 24-hour cycle that is part of the body’s internal clock. Circadian rhythm is crucial to managing the delicate balance between sleep and wakefulness, helping us be alert or drowsy at the appropriate time.”(Sleepfoundation.org). Exposing yourself to sunlight can help you sync up with your natural rhythm, reducing artificial lighting from screens can help regulate yourself, and committing to an exercise schedule. Even creating some sort of routine for your bedtime, like brushing your teeth, meditating, yoga, anything that can help you get to sleep. Moreover, sleep is incredibly important and maintaining healthy sleep habits can only help you in the long run. As this will help you in both your physical and mental well-being.
The Relationship Between Mental Health and Sleep by Christina Dinh
Sleep is a biological necessity in life! Yet, numerous individuals, especially college students, find it difficult to maintain an adequate sleep schedule. However, sleep has a direct impact on one’s mental health as without sleep, there is no overall wellness. There is an unfortunate cycle occurring as mental health can lead to poor sleep and poor sleep can lead to worsening or onsets of mental health ailments. According to Mind.org, “worrying about sleep is like your mind trying to fight itself.” Rather than experiencing a mind against itself, it is important to get sleep so that your mind and body are nourished and well-functioning rather than combative.
Mind.org also mentions some common issues with sleep:
Finding it hard to fall asleep
Panic attacks or flashbacks that disturb sleep
Feeling tired often
Sleeping too much or too little
Finding it difficult to leave the bed
Such problems can cause an increase in the likelihood of experiencing devastating effects on one’s mental health. For example, sleep problems increase the likelihood of anxiety and depression symptoms getting worse or onsetting. Poor sleep can also trigger psychotic episodes like mania, psychosis, or paranoia. Sleep can also exacerbate the feeling of loneliness as it can cause lack of energy which prevents individuals from socializing or even viewing others as able to see their perspectives and understand their feelings. Above all, irritability is one direct effect of sleep on mental health. Sleep has a direct impact with interpersonal relationships and functioning, a lack of sleep leads to feelings of irritability which then begins a cycle of problems one experiences as everything seems to go wrong which then can cause the etiological basis for psychopathology.
Yet, something to note as well is that anxiety, among other mental health problems, can lead to sleep problems. As noted before, there is an endless cycle occurring when it comes to the relationship between sleep and mental health. Sleepfoundation.org found that a lack of sleep can lead to anxiety for individuals who have risk factors for it such as those who are susceptible to stress. In a similar manner, anxiety can lead individuals to be unable to sleep due to high levels of cortisol which keep the body at high arousal which in turn leads to insomnia. Anxiety is not the only mental health problem that can occur from sleep problems. Among other disorders affected are schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. With schizophrenia, sleep can further exacerbate schizophrenia symptoms due to its potential to lead to paranoia. In fact, REM sleep is known to help consolidate memories and aid in more fluid thinking. However, lack of sleep means this is prevented so false beliefs are more likely to occur along with hallucinations and delusions (Pham & McGuire). With bipolar disorder, sleep patterns constantly change during episodes of mania and depression. Yet again, there is this linear relationship as a lack of sleep can lead those who suffer from bipolar disorder to have their symptoms worsen as a result.
Although mental ailments do have a direct correlation to mental health problems, based on prior research, there are also disorders which are directly related to disturbances and impaired functioning of sleep. In particular, two disorders are Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and insomnia which are the most predominant. OSA occurs when oxygen is disturbed while sleeping which leads to a bad night’s sleep or constant disrupted sleep. Sleepfoundation.org notes that prior research has found that OSA is often associated with mental health conditions and occurs more in those who do have them. Insomnia is what prevents sleep in the first place! The DSM-5 classifies insomnia as having problems staying asleep, falling asleep, or waking up too early which in turn leads to dysfunction during the daytime (Columbiapsychiatry.org). Anxiety contributes to insomnia and insomnia can in turn contribute to anxiety as this theme of sleep and mental health sharing a bi-directional relationship is a very important takeaway from this section. Columbiapsychiatry.org notes that there is a large prevalence of those suffering from insomnia throughout the world, with one in three adults in a published study suffering from insomnia.
Yet, despite the difficulties that sleep poses to mental health, there are some treatments that can help alleviate mental health and sleep concerns. One treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which has proven to be helpful for those suffering from insomnia (Columbiapsychiatry.org). It helps educate those suffering from insomnia about how to change their sleep hygiene to achieve effective sleep. For example, it helps tackle thought processes which have a large impact on sleep quality such as relaxation techniques.
Sleep and mental health have an interconnected relationship but despite this, treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy help alleviate the concerns caused by their interconnected relationship for a well-rested night.
How to Practice Healthy Sleep Hygiene by Hannah Cericos
Good sleep hygiene is necessary to become in sync with your body’s cycle to promote your overall health mentally and physically (Sleep Foundation, 2022). Sleepy hygiene includes good sleep habits that help support your sleep cycle. If you are struggling with sleep such as falling asleep or staying asleep, finding ways to practice healthy sleep hygiene can ultimately change your emotional, mental and physical state in many ways.
Below we’ve listed a couple tips on how to practice healthy sleep hygiene.
Keeping a consistent sleep schedule
Having a consistent schedule will reinforce a body sleep cycle and will help you fall asleep easier.
Try alarms for when you need to start resting as well as need to wake up.
Make sure to choose a bedtime that is able to fit 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.
Having a calming bedtime routine
Bedtime routines help relax and tune down your body to feel more ready for sleep.
Avoid stressful and overly stimulating situations and activities.
Keep them within 30 to 60 minutes before your bedtime to keep a time managed schedule of sleep.
Examples of bedtime routines include:
Warm baths or showers
Gentle stretches to help the body relax and release tension
Meditation for a few minutes
Soothing music
Reading a book
Electronics - Off
Devices that emit blue light can lessen melatonin levels in your body.
Melatonin is a chemical your body produces that controls your body’s sleep cycle. When melatonin is high, falling asleep is easier and when melatonin is low, falling asleep is more difficult.
Try staying away from electronics or turning off notifications so it does not interrupt your sleep.
Exercising Regularly
Exercise is able to improve your sleep quality and general health.
Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise will help regulate your sleep cycle especially when outdoors through natural light exposure.
Avoid exercising within an hour or two of your bedtime as it may increase your energy levels and body temperature which can be seen as the opposite of relaxation.
Limiting Caffeine Intake
Caffeine can truly affect your sleep schedule as its effects can last 3 to 7 hours after consumption.
These effects include but are not limited to:
Stimulating the central nervous system
Keeping you alert
Rapid heartbeat
Being aware of your caffeine intake as well as your caffeine tolerance and how it may affect your sleep schedule helps when figuring out ways to sleep with ease.
Creating a Comfortable Sleep Environment
Dark, quiet and cool rooms will help you sleep quicker as well as stay asleep longer.
Ways to keep your environment comfortable:
Optimal temperature for sleeping
Comfortable mattress, pillows and blankets.
Good pair of earplugs
Dimmed lights or curtains.
Go to Bed when tired
Keep consistent actions associated with your bed such as sleeping or sex.
If you want to be in leisure and relax, try to do activities that are not within your bed.
Your body cycle’s sleep schedule will improve if you only go to bed once feeling tired.
If you are struggling to fall asleep once in bed, move from the bed and do something to help you relax and unwind, helping you get tired enough to go back to bed.
Limit napping
Napping can change your sleep schedule by making it harder to fall asleep later and prone to wake up during the night.
If napping, try keeping it to 30 minutes or less and avoid napping later in the afternoon.
Manage stress before Bedtime
Worries can keep you awake at night making it harder to sleep.
Prevent this from happening by getting these thoughts and worries managed before bed.
This can include
Writing them before bedtime
Write down a to-do list
Meditate to calm your mind
Overall, the sleep hygiene you create is determined by your sleep habits which can affect your quality of sleep. Being aware of routines, schedules, relaxing habits, exercising and providing a comfortable environment to sleep in can all affect whether or not you'll be able to sleep with ease and comfort.
REFERENCES
Herse, E. (2020). 10 Healthy Sleep Hygiene Habits. Healthline.
How Sleep Deprivation Impacts Mental Health. (2022). Columbia Department of Psychiatry.
How to cope with sleep problems. (2020). Mind.org.uk.
Pacheco, D. (2022). Why do we need sleep? Sleep Foundation.
Pham, L., & McGuire, J. (n.d). Sleep Deprivation Psychosis Is A Real Thing. WebMD.
Suni, E. (2022) How to Fix Your Sleep Schedule. Sleep Foundation.
Suni, E. (2022). Mental Health and Sleep. Sleep Foundation.
Suni, E. (2022) Sleep Hygiene. Sleep Foundation.
Why Sleep? (2022) Dartmouth Academic Skills Center.