Impact of Sleep on Mental Health
#sleep #sleepbetter #sleeptips #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #sleephealth #sleeping
Many people know how sleep loss slows physical reflexes and impacts cognitive abilities. Recall how after a sleepless #night, you may take longer to put on the brakes at a spotlight or understand your coworker's speech. But did you know that sleep deprivation ruins your mood and affects your mental health more than your motor and cognitive skills? Just like mental health #issues make it challenging to have a good night's sleep, poor sleep can also worsen your mental well-being. But there is always a light at the end of the tunnel; thus, better sleep can improve your mental health and keep psychological issues at bay.
The Impact of Sleep on Mental Health: The Dark Side
When you look at signs of mental health disorders, sleep #problems almost always form part of the #diagnosis. It could be something as mild as a lack of sleep to as chronic as a sleep disorder. Many people think mental health issues primarily cause impaired sleep patterns. While that narrative isn't false, it doesn't fully represent the sleep impacts on mental health. In the past, healthcare providers and researchers considered #sleep troubles a hallmark and consequence of #psychiatric disorders. They have evidence that sleep deprivation is the culprit, with circadian misalignment as the accomplice. But what exactly includes sleep deprivation? It can be categorized into two phases.
Acute Sleep Debt
This refers to the amount of missed sleep in the last 14 days relative to your sleep need, which is genetically determined per your body's need.
Chronic Sleep Deprivation
Chronic sleep deprivation is when you experience high sleep debt over many months or years. Did you know our sleep need is as genetically unique as our height and eye colour? Instead of the generalized recommendation of 8 hours of sleep, it's more likely that your?sleep need?should be between 7 to 9 hours. Whereas some even need more than that to function at their best. Lack of sleep extends beyond the grouchiness and negativity you feel while waking up. The image below shows how sleep deprivation impacts one's psychological #health on the hormonal, #physiological, and biochemical levels.
Continue Reading Source: Impact of Sleep on Mental Health