Sleep and your mental health

THINK WELL
Written By Amanda Courtney

Our fast-paced society favours long work hours and busy schedules, meaning sleep is often the first element to fall off our priority list when trying to achieve more throughout the day. But the importance of sleep shouldn’t be underestimated.

If there was a prescription available that could reduce our risk of chronic disease, improve mental health, energy levels, immune function, body composition, social interaction, concentration and focus, we would all jump at the chance to get our hands on it. Adequate sleep can elicit all of these benefits (Summer, 2024). 

The different stages of sleep play a role in brain health with rapid eye movement also known as REM, proven to help the brain’s processing of emotional information. If sleep quality or duration decrease, it is harmful to the consolidation of positive memories and emotions. This in turn can affect your daily mood (Suni, 2024). It is recommended that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep every night (HSE, 2022).

How to know if you are lacking in sleep:

  • Have trouble getting up out of bed.

  • Find it hard to concentrate.

  • Are easily irritated.

  • Need caffeine to keep you going throughout the day.

  • Have trouble coping with stress (HSE, 2022).

Try these sleep-focused ways to TAKE 15 at the end of the day before you climb into bed:

  1. Grab yourself a warm drink and your book to switch off.

  2. Try a pre-bed yoga sequence, to help the mind and body to unwind.

  3. Treat yourself to a warm bath – this can relax and can help to signal your body to begin to initiate sleep.  

  4. Meditate – apps like Calm, Headspace and videos on YouTube provide guided sessions too. 

  5. Avoid the blue light from screens by using the ‘night mode’ or simply steer clear of devices 1 hour before bedtime (HSE, 2022).

If you have tried the mentioned tips and are still struggling with your sleep schedule and mental health, it may be time to reach out to your local GP for professional advice.

References:

Amanda Courtney
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