Is Sleep Important To Your Mental Health?  Sleep is an important involuntary action necessary for the efficient functioning of living organisms. Research has shown the importance of sleep on mental health, as well as the physical health. After a hard day’s work, the body and mind need to rest and repair, which happens during sleep. Hormones regulating growth and appetite, muscle repair and memory consolidation are just a few of the significant processes undertaken during sleep.

Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, is harmful to the human body and the longer an individual goes without sleep, the weaker and more exhausted he or she becomes. Insufficient sleep is linked to increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks. Research shows that sleeping less than a minimum of five hours per night increases the likelihood of suffering a heart attack.

This is, however, just one facet of the type of health problems a sleep deprived individual faces. There are other far-reaching implications of not exercising a proper sleep schedule. Through this article, we outline the overall importance sleep has on your mental well-being.

The 4 Stages of Sleep

During the 8-hour sleep cycle, an individual cycles through 4 different sleep stages every few minutes. These stages are:

• Stage N1 (NON REM Sleep 1) is the transition period when an individual goes from being awake to falling asleep. You are aware of your surroundings and are drifting into sleep and can easily regain consciousness.
• Stage N2 (NON REM Sleep 2) is characterized by shallow breathing, and a slowing down of the heart rate.
• Stage N3 (NON REM Sleep 3) is often referred to as delta sleep as the delta brainwaves slow down considerably. During this period of sleep, the body performs important repair functions and heals itself.
• Stage R encompasses (REM SLEEP) REM, which stands for rapid eye movement. A sleeper experiences REM sleep for 90 minutes after falling asleep and cycles to this period multiple times during the night. Research has shown that irregular REM sleep raises the risk of chronic depression and anxiety and REM sleep is important for the regulation of emotions.

Lack Of Sleep Affects Mental Performance

Practicing a proper sleep routine through which you get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep is crucial to maintain mental strength and cognitive functions.  Straying from that minimum can lead to drastic degradation of concentration levels, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities. This impairment of brain faculties causes problems in everyday situations such as work and academics. Additionally, when sleep deprived for more than 24 or so hours, the brain may begin to experience micro-naps, in which the brain shuts down from a few to 30 seconds – with no response, which when operating heavy machinery or driving can lead to serious injuries and even death.

Lack of Sleep and Psychiatric Disorders

Researchers believe that a lack of sleep brought upon by sleep disorders and psychiatric illnesses are closely linked and have common biological markers. The mental illnesses that have symptoms similar to sleep disorders are:

 

 

ADHD

Individuals diagnosed with ADHD are affected by restlessness and impulsivity; these individuals often complain about a lack of sleep and feel fatigued throughout the day.

Bipolar Disorder

Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder experience rapid mood swings outside of the normal range. When experiencing a high, these individuals are alert and energetic and lose sleep, when low they are prone to oversleeping.  It is thought that sleep deprivation for individuals affected by bipolar disorder can trigger mania.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

The Seasonal Affective Disorder is the diagnosis of depression that occurs seasonally; this is a result of changes in sunlight and exposure which disrupts a person’s circadian rhythms. People affected by SAD experience both insomnia and oversleeping.

Major Depressive Disorder

People suffering from extreme depression in which they feel hopeless and sad regardless of what they are doing also suffer from insomnia and untimely drowsiness.

Together, these are the common mental disorders closely tied to an individual experiencing a lack of sleep and highlight the importance of sleep in order to maintain good mental health. Not only is an 8 hour sleep cycle important to help you function effectively, but also helps keep you physically fit. Lacking a suitable amount of sleep can lead to irritability, hopelessness, diminished cognitive functions and deterioration of the physical body.