Sleep and Mental Health
Sleep occupies around a third of our lives. It is critical to cell regeneration, neurological recovery, immunity, and metabolism. Simply put, we depend on sleep to stay alive, and a lack of it can impact our health in multiple ways.
The link between a lack of sleep and mental health is sound, with disrupted sleep shown to have a profound effect on depressive symptoms.
One night of poor sleep can set you up for a day of anxiety, and chronic sleep deprivation can contribute to anxiety disorders and depression.
This article explores the link between sleep and mental health. We hope it clarifies your quest to sleep better and feel happier.
Let’s jump in!
Hormones and sleep
Firstly, it’s essential to cover hormones.
Several hormones are linked with mental health, including cortisol (stress hormone) and serotonin (mood-regulating hormone).
Sleep deprivation disrupts the normal secretion of these hormones, which can trigger anxiety, panic, and elevated stress.
Elevated cortisol causes sleep disturbances by stimulating wakefulness and reducing melatonin production. Low serotonin can induce insomnia, low mood, and fatigue. This can create a cycle of sleep deprivation and mental health problems, making you feel out of sorts most of the time.
Sleep and anxiety
People who sleep better have less anxiety than those who sleep poorly. This meta-analysis of studies found that sleep is related to the experience of mental health difficulties, including anxiety and stress, in adults.
Why sleep deprivation causes, anxiety is unknown, although there is a causal link between hormones and anxiety (see above). There is also the suggestion that a lack of sleep re-wires the brain to be receptive to stress.
One thing that cannot be argued is the link between anxiety and sleep disorders - people with anxiety are five times more likely to experience sleep disorders, according to a study published in Psychiatry Research.
Sleep and depression
Depression is complex and poorly understood, but research is increasingly finding a link between poor sleep and depressive symptoms.
For example, about three-quarters of depressed patients have insomnia symptoms. Worse yet, insomnia fuels depression further. This creates a vicious cycle, where one night of poor sleep can set you up for the worst possible day.
Low mood and frequent sadness are core symptoms of early-stage depression, and people usually have anxiety too. If you can relate to these symptoms and have disrupted sleep, it would be best to speak to your GP immediately.
Sleep and bipolar
Sleep and bipolar are tightly entwined. Not only are sleep problems the most common signal that mania is about to occur, but insomnia and delayed sleep phase syndrome are both common pre-cursors to extreme depression.
Experts recommend that people with bipolar get seven to nine hours of sleep per night, but most get around half that.
If you have bipolar and you don’t get enough sleep, your elevated mood, hyperactivity, and impaired judgment could increase exponentially.
Sleep and ADHD
Most people with ADHD don’t fall asleep quickly and struggle to stay asleep. People with ADHD are also more likely to have anxiety and depression, as well as higher suicidality and disposition towards anger.
ADHD is a highly complex mental disorder, and its effects on sleep are potent. Most people struggle to sleep because of racing thoughts, hyperactivity, anxiety, and a feeling of restlessness that comes and goes.
Some doctors treat ADHD like a sleep disorder, looking for ways to manage chemical and hormone imbalances in the brain. The trouble is that ADHD medication can exasperate sleep problems, so the solution is not so simple.
Summing up
Sleep and mental health have a causal link, with solid scientific links between sleep disruption and mental health decline. A lack of sleep makes you more anxious, depressed, and angry and impairs your judgment.
Want to sleep better? Read our sleep tips article for ideas on how to sleep better.