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When it comes to sleep and our general well-being, we all know that getting a good night’s rest every evening is essential for staying in shape and waking up refreshed to face the day ahead. But while we all get bad sleep from time to time, consistently poor sleep can have a serious impact on our mental health.
Many studies have shown that the relationship between mental health and sleep is tightly interlinked. Not only that, but they’ve also proven that it’s cyclical, meaning if you’re suffering from mental health problems, you’ll likely experience poor sleep, and if you’re experiencing poor sleep, your mental health will probably suffer.
As the mental health charity 'Mind' notes: “Poor sleep leads to worrying, and worrying leads to poor sleep. Worrying about sleep is like your mind trying to fight itself, and that's a horrible place to be.”
With all this in mind, if you’re worried about the psychological effects of sleep deprivation on your mental health, and what you can do to minimise its impact and start on the road to recovery, here’s what you need to know about the relationship between sleep deprivation and mental health.
How does having a mental health problem impact your sleep?
Before touching on the topic of the psychological effects of sleep deprivation, it’s very important to note that everyone experiences mental health problems differently. Although some symptoms of mental health are common, for example sleeping a lot if you suffer from depression, such symptoms will manifest differently from person to person.
However, if you are living with a mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, you might experience these issues with sleep:
- Difficulty getting to sleep, difficulty staying asleep, or waking up very early in the morning.
- Intense nightmares or panic attacks during the night.
- Difficulty waking up and getting out of bed.
- Feeling tired all the time.
- Sleeping a lot (Hypersomnia) - even when you’re supposed to be awake.
To put this another way, if you’re suffering from depression, you might sleep a lot as an ‘escape’ from reality. On the other hand, anxious thoughts might keep you from falling asleep as your mind starts racing, hence why you likely won’t experience all of the above symptoms together.
'Mind' also points out that different mental health problems can have different and specific effects on your sleep, such as:
- Sleep anxiety causes rapid and repetitive thoughts as you try to get to sleep, as well as panic attacks.
- Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can cause you to sleep more or less, depending on whether or not your symptoms manifest as a form of insomnia.
- Trauma and PTSD can cause flashbacks and night terrors, and you might feel unsafe and uncomfortable in bed.
- Paranoia and psychosis can cause you to see or hear things that disturb your sleep.
- Mania can make you feel energetic, so you won’t want to sleep or feel tired even when your body needs rest.
How does poor sleep affect your mental health?
On the flip side of sleep and mental health, anyone suffering from sleep deprivation might start experiencing minor symptoms related to a variety of mental health problems (or exacerbate any they may currently be experiencing), for example:
- You might experience a lack of energy or feel lonely and isolated.
- You might find it harder to concentrate on school or work or make plans with friends.
- You may find it harder to make decisions or rationalise anxious thoughts.
- You might feel irritable and snappy.
- You might experience a spike in depression and possibly even suicidal thoughts.
- In severe cases, you might experience a psychotic episode.
Again, the psychological effects of sleep deprivation are varied and far-reaching, and there is a good chance you will not experience more than one of these symptoms, which is why keeping an eye out for all of them is a good idea if you want to catch the early.
Can poor sleep cause mental health problems?
As you’ve no doubt already guessed (or know firsthand), poor sleep absolutely can impact your mental health. We’ve all experienced feeling groggy and grumpy if we haven’t had enough sleep, but not giving your mind the time it needs to rest and recuperate opens the door for such problems to arise.
Put simply, insufficient sleep increases the likelihood of a negative emotional response to stressors while simultaneously decreasing positive emotions, which is often the first step towards the manifestation of mental health problems.
Naturally, more research needs to be done, but Columbia University researchers note that sleep is important for a number of brain and body functions that help process events and regulate emotions and behaviours. For example, one study found that those with insomnia are four times more likely to develop depression.
And it’s honestly not that surprising. Sleep, after all, helps to maintain our cognitive skills, such as attention, learning, and memory, but poor sleep or lack of sleep, can make it difficult for you to cope with even minor stressors, and ultimately impacts your ability to perceive the world accurately.
How to treat severe sleep problems
If you currently experiencing or are worried about the impact of sleep deprivation and mental health, the good news is that this sort of problem is treatable!
First and foremost, if your mental health is causing you to lose huge amounts of sleep, or if sleep deprivation is having a negative impact on your mental health (remember it’s all connected!) then speak to your doctor, as they may be able to recommend one of the following treatments:
Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia
CBT or CBT-I is a talking therapy that helps you understand the causes of your mental health problems and gives you strategies to help – it’s one of the most common and effective forms of mental health treatment available right now.
And while CBT-I can take longer to have an effect than sleeping pills, the results are longer lasting, with research finding that up to 70% of insomnia sufferers find the tactic effective for curbing their inability to sleep.
Sleeping pills and minor tranquillisers
If your sleep deprivation is serious enough, your doctor might prescribe you sleeping pills to help you get to sleep more easily. These are generally a short-term solution, however, as you can become addicted and they sometimes cause nasty side effects, such as drowsiness and nausea.
Alongside this, minor tranquillisers, such as benzodiazepine, will only be prescribed if your doctor thinks they’re right for you, as they have a sedative effect that slows your brain and body’s functions, preventing you from spiralling with anxious thoughts, but again, they come with downsides.
Finally, medication, such as anti-depressants, can also be prescribed to treat your mental health problem directly, but finding the right medication for you can take time and patience.
Ask to be referred to a sleep clinic
Lastly, your doctor may be able to transfer you to a sleep clinic. An NHS outpatient service, a sleep clinic will assess you if you’ve been referred by a GP, helping you find the cause of your insomnia and find the right treatment for you.
Sleep clinics are great for helping you deal with nightmares, sleep paralysis, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disorders. You’ll be asked to fill out a questionnaire about your sleep habits, and a doctor or therapist will thoroughly assess your mental health and how this impacts your sleep.
From here, the sleep clinic can arrange for further testing to take place in order to get to the bottom of your insomnia, as discovering the cause of your insomnia is key to finding a solution.
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At the end of the day, if you suffer from mental health problems, you might find that your sleep is seriously affected. However, remember that poor sleeping habits can lead to the early stages of mental health problems as well, so be sure to speak to your doctor if you think your mental health is suffering as a result of poor sleep.
And, remember, if you’re struggling to sleep right, one of the best things you can do right now is invest in a better bed and mattress – after all, while it might not fully fix your sleep deprivation, putting your head down on a comfy bed each night and practising nighttime self-care will certainly help.
Get in touch today to find out more about our next-day delivery service, and check out our other sleep-related blogs, such as our piece on the impact of cortisol on your circadian rhythm.
