Most of us have experienced a restless night—tossing and turning, waking up in the middle of the night, or struggling to fall asleep in the first place. The result? A groggy, irritable day ahead. It’s no secret that sleep, self-care, and mental health are deeply connected. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to brain fog, difficulty focusing, relationship strain, and even physical health issues.
This year, National Sleep Awareness Week falls from March 9th to 15th, making it the perfect time to assess your sleep habits. Take this opportunity to recognize what’s working well and identify areas for improvement. Read on to explore the benefits of quality sleep and how it plays a crucial role in mental well-being.
The Science of Sleep and Mental Health
This blog won’t be doing a deep-dive into the science of sleep and mental health connection. Instead, we’ll focus on a general overview of how sleep is essential for cognitive and emotional functioning. We’ll also point out some of the warning signs of not getting good quality sleep, so you can take an assessment of your personal sleep quality.
Why Sleep is Essential for Emotional Well-Being
Lack of sleep can wreak havoc on stress levels, leading to increased irritability with others and even difficulty regulating emotions. These effects worsen when you have any underlying mental health conditions, like anxiety or depression. Quality sleep, however, seems to provide a buffer of mental health resilience. Think of acquiring quality sleep like flossing your teeth – it’s something you do for your hygiene as a preventative measure of health.
Managing Stress for Better Sleep
The stress-sleep cycle is another piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting good quality rest. The stress-sleep cycle is a negative feedback loop, meaning that the more stressed we are, the worse we tend to sleep – and the worse we tend to sleep, the more stressed we become, and on, and on. What a nightmare!
Here’s a list of questions to ask yourself around assessing your stress-sleep cycle:
Am I struggling at all with racing thoughts before bed?
Am I have trouble falling or staying asleep?
Does it feel like I’m sleeping light? Or like my sleep is fragmented into chunks rather than whole and restful?
If you answered yes to any of the above, you may be dealing with increased stress triggers, which may be leading to a more vulnerable state for less quality sleep. Read on to continue assessing your stress-sleep cycle:
Am I feeling irritable, snappish, or overwhelmed in my day to day?
Am I having any difficulty focusing or problem-solving?
Am I experiencing any increased physical issues, like muscle tension or headaches?
If you answered yes to any of the above, you may be dealing with poor quality sleep, which may be leading to a more vulnerable state for stress triggers.
Cognitive Function and Sleep
Sleep is a time when our minds can rest and recover from daily stressors. Sleep is also the time when memory consolidation occurs. Think of it like nighttime cleaning and organizing of items on a shelf; your memories need to be processed and stored properly in order for you to feel focused and uncluttered during the day.
Check out this quote from one of our therapists, Loula Kontoulas, who has great experience working with clients who struggle with sleep issues:
“While we sleep, our brains are far from idle. Amazing biological processes take place, including a vital ‘brainwashing’ or cleansing function. Similar to the body’s lymphatic system that moves fluids throughout the body, the glymphatic system moves fluids throughout the brain to flush out toxins and chemical waste. This process is most active during sleep and contributes to improved cognitive functioning, enhanced memory consolidation, and potentially reduces the risk of neurodegenerative illnesses like Alzheimer’s.”
Transition:
The good news is that there are therapeutic approaches designed to help with getting better quality rest. For example, when sleep deprivation and anxiety are troubling you, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help you address problematic thoughts which might be interfering with your brain’s ability to relax. Additionally, I’ll be sharing some practical strategies for improving sleep quality later in this blog.
Recent Comments