Sleep plays a vital role in life. It is important because this is our brain’s only time to rest and recharge. Sleep deprivation can have a negative impact on both your physical and mental health. Actually, according to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Babies, young children, and teens need considerably more sleep in order to develop and grow. Older adults, on the other hand, should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. But how can we really practice getting enough sleep and why is getting enough sleep important to mental health?
3 Tips to Get Enough Sleep
Regulate your sleep schedule
A study discovered that young adults with irregular bedtime schedules have poor sleep quality (Kang & Chen, 2009), which leads to poorer academic performance and a delayed circadian rhythm (Phillips et al., 2017). This has also been confirmed by McMahon et al., (2020), who claim that maintaining a consistent sleeping schedule improves sleep-circadian time alignment and that when the circadian rhythm is disrupted, it can cause sleeping problems like insomnia (Suni, 2020).
Avoid keeping your brain occupied until late
Avoid working late at night, playing video games, or using other electronic devices. King et al. (2013) found experimental evidence that prolonged video gaming disrupts sleep, even when sleep begins at a normal bedtime. Additionally, excessive use of electronic devices before night leads to sleep deficiency (Hysing, 2015).
Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine
Drinking alcohol before sleeping is really not a good idea. Drinking alcohol, which is a sedative, makes sleep onset shorter for drinkers, which results in falling into a deep sleep quickly. This event causes a decrease in overall sleep quality that results in shorter sleep duration and more sleep disruptions (Pacheco, 2020).
According to a study conducted by Drake et al., (2013), taking caffeine 6 hours before bedtime can considerably disrupt sleep and diminish sleep by more than 1 hour. This is also supported by the study by Clark & Landolt (2017), which says caffeine reduces total sleep time and worsens perceived sleep quality.
Importance of Getting Enough Sleep to Mental Health
Sleep Protects Us Against Our Fear
According to Lerner et al., (2020), spending more time in the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep reduces activity in the areas of the brain that are active during having feelings of fear. The REM phase of sleep is when you dream, and it takes around an hour and a half to reach the first REM. To effectively protect us against our fears, a person needs to go through more than one REM cycle while sleeping, and to achieve this, getting enough sleep while practicing the tips above is recommended.
Lessens Risks In Having Anxiety
Another important aspect of getting enough sleep is that it lowers the risk of having anxiety. Research conducted by Goldstein et al., (2013) says that sleep deprivation can result in a high risk of suffering from anxiety. Anxiety disorders could arise as a result of this effect.
Brings Good Mood
Everyone gets cranky when they haven’t gotten enough sleep, which leads to another reason why getting enough sleep is important. As mentioned in the study conducted by Triantafillou et al., (2019), improved sleep quality has a positive outcome on daily mood. It has also been discovered by University of Pennsylvania researchers that their subjects whose sleep was limited to 4.5 hours a night for a week reported feeling more stressed, mad, sad, and mentally tired; and when they resumed normal sleep, an improvement in their mood has been seen.
Sleep, as an essential component of our lives, should be prioritized in our daily lives. It is very important that we get enough sleep and observe any changes in our sleep patterns to take care of our mental health. If you’ve been having trouble sleeping and it’s affecting your everyday life, don’t hesitate to seek help from a mental health professional. It is important that as soon as frequent sleeping problems are encountered, you ask for help.
Shirley Therapeutic and Consulting Services, LLC is a diverse therapy clinic that can meet the needs of anyone. If you’d like to talk about your mental health, feel free to message us here.
References:
Clark, I., & Landolt, H. P. (2017). Coffee, caffeine, and sleep: A systematic review of epidemiological studies and randomized controlled trials. Sleep medicine reviews, 31, 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2016.01.006
Cohut, M. (n.d.). How A good night’s sleep can protect against Fear. Medical News Today. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319840.
Dinges, D. F., Pack, F., Williams, K., Gillen, K. A., Powell, J. W., Ott, G. E., Aptowicz, C., & Pack, A. I. (1997). Cumulative sleepiness, mood disturbance, and psychomotor vigilance performance decrements during a week of sleep restricted to 4-5 hours per night. Sleep, 20(4), 267–277.
Drake, C., Roehrs, T., Shambroom, J., & Roth, T. (2013). Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 09(11), 1195–1200. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.3170
Goldstein, A. N., Greer, S. M., Saletin, J. M., Harvey, A. G., Nitschke, J. B., & Walker, M. P. (2013). Tired and apprehensive: anxiety amplifies the impact of sleep loss on aversive brain anticipation. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 33(26), 10607–10615. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5578-12.2013
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Triantafillou, S., Saeb, S., Lattie, E. G., Mohr, D. C., & Kording, K. P. (2019). Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Mood: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study. JMIR mental health, 6(3), e12613. https://doi.org/10.2196/12613
