{"id":1679,"date":"2020-07-20T19:12:16","date_gmt":"2020-07-20T19:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bedguard.com.au\/?p=1679"},"modified":"2020-07-20T19:12:16","modified_gmt":"2020-07-20T19:12:16","slug":"sleep-and-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/sleep-and-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep and mental health"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all know how vital sleep is to our physical wellbeing, but how are sleep and mental health related?<\/p>\n

\"Sleep<\/p>\n

The quality and quantity of sleep we get each night can affect how we feel during the day. Get a good sleep and we wake up feeling refreshed, and ready to greet the day. But wake up from a bad sleep and chances are we feel lethargic, foggy and cranky.<\/p>\n

Sleep and mental health \u2013 the connection<\/h2>\n

While there is a lot we don\u2019t know about sleep, there is a clear link between sleep and the state of our mental health.<\/p>\n

Several brain processes take place while we sleep, including memory consolidation and processing information from across the day. Inadequate sleep or poor sleep can impact mental health, leading to depression, anxiety, irritability and emotional instability.<\/p>\n

During the night we go through several sleep cycles<\/a> of around 90 minutes, including REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep. REM sleep is the phase of sleep where most dreaming occurs and it\u2019s in this phase where we consolidate information and learning. However, scientists have found that disrupting these natural cycles increases hormone levels and impairs our natural ability to regulate our emotions. Those who are chronically sleep deprived are more prone to negative thinking and are at risk of developing depression and anxiety disorders.<\/p>\n

The impact of sleep deprivation<\/h2>\n

Research has also shown that lack of sleep, particularly that caused by sleep disorders such as insomnia<\/a>, sleep apnoea<\/a>, movement syndromes and narcolepsy, may increase the risk for some people developing certain mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and ADHD. To make it even more complicated, having a mental illness also increases the likelihood of poor sleep patterns.<\/p>\n

For example, anxiety has been shown to cause sleep problems, while around 65% – 90% of adults with major depression have problems sleeping. For children with depression that figure is even higher with 90% of them experiencing difficulties with their sleep.[i]<\/a><\/p>\n

Signs that your sleep is inadequate<\/h2>\n

Signs that you\u2019re not getting enough sleep include:<\/p>\n