6 ways lack of sleep can impact your mental health × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout Health and Fitness Feature
6 ways lack of sleep can impact your mental health
By Steve George Verghese Modified 21 Sep 2022 Follow Us Comment Share Lack of sleep is detrimental to a person's mental health (Image via Pexels/ Andrea Piacquadio) Mental health and sleep have been linked together. Most people recognize how vital adequate sleep is for good mental health. Many recognize how lack of sleep is a result of mental illness, but fail to see how it can cause mental health problems. There is a lack of awareness of the bi-directional relationship between mental well-being and lack of sleep. Mental illnesses make it difficult for a person to get adequate sleep. On the other hand, chronic lack of adequate sleep can result in or worsen problems like anxiety and depression. During different stages of the sleep cycle, brain activity fluctuates. During rapid eye movement sleep cycles, brain activity is high, which results in vivid dreams. During non-rapid eye movement cycles, brain activity slows down but there are still some quick bursts of energy. Research has shown that brain activity during sleep increases a person's emotional and mental health. Quality sleep facilitates improved processing of emotional information. Other mental and cognitive benefits of adequate sleep include improved thinking, memory, and learning. What lack of sleep can do to mental health
Lack of sleep and insomnia are common problems and affect nearly a third of the global population, according to a study. This means that many people are at risk of developing or worsening their mental well-being due to a lack of adequate sleep. Lack of sleep can affect mental health in different ways. 1 Stress
Stress can greatly impact a person's quality of life if it is not managed properly. Without adequate rest, people can find it difficult to process stressors in their lives. Obstacles and setbacks can turn into sources of frustration that add to a person's level of stress. 2 Psychotic Symptoms
While rare, a severe lack of sleep over a long period of time can cause a person to develop temporary psychotic symptoms. Studies indicate that when people do not get to sleep for a period of more than 24 hours, they experience psychotic symptoms like halucinations and delusions. 3 Behavioral Changes
A chronic lack of sleep can cause people to start experiencing inexplicable changes in their behavior. These people can develop unusual behaviors like hyperactivity, emotional outbursts, and increased impulsivity. They begin to behave erratically and develop a short fuse. They also struggle to interact with those around them. 4 Mood Swings
Without adequate sleep, the emotional center of the brain known as the amygylla does not function properly. This causes people to lose control over their emotions and suffer from mood swings. Their moods begin to fluctuate between irritability, anger, and aggression. A study also shows that sleep deprivation causes a person to experience feelings of anxiety and depression. 5 Cognitive struggles
People require adequate sleep in order to recharge their brains for various cognitive tasks. Lack of sleep causes people to experience confusion and struggles with concentration. It can cause people to struggle with recalling memories and affect their ability to communicate in a clear manner. It can also impact a person's productivity levels, which can affect their professional lives. 6 Mental Health Ilnesses
Mental health and sleep are intertwined and there is a growing body of evidence indicating that lack of sleep can be a contributing factor to various mental illnesses. Although further evidence is required to conclusively prove that statement, there is enough evidence to link sleep and mental illnesses. Lack of sleep is also associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sleep deficits are also linked to depression, anxiety, and bipolarity. Takeaway
While the mental health benefits of getting a good night's sleep are now well known, the drawbacks that come with lack of sleep aren't. Lack of sleep is dangerous for a person's well-being. People should take the necessary steps to get enough sleep on a regular basis. Poll : Do you get enough sleep? Yes No 1 votes Edited by Nicolaas Ackermann × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeScheduleT20 World CupT20 warm upIND vs SAENG vs PAKAUS vs ENGLegends LeagueECS T10 CroatiaWBBL 2022ECC T10SMAT 2022Bukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022ECT10 FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Crown Jewel 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxFree PicksSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी