What is the surprising link between sleep and mental health?

Arabia Weather - There is a close relationship between sleep and psychological and mental health. Mental health disorders can affect your sleep, and in return, poor sleep quality can negatively affect your mental health. The lack of sleep hours is not just a symptom of the current psychological state, but can contribute to the emergence of various psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety. So, treating sleep problems early is important to maintain your overall health. You can make lifestyle changes to improve your sleep.

How does sleep affect mental health?

The sleeper moves between two main stages of sleep every hour and a half:

Rapid eye movement sleep stage

During this phase, body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rise to levels similar to those recorded while awake. Scientists believe that this stage plays an important role in enhancing learning and memory processes, and may contribute to improving emotional and psychological health.

Deep sleep stage

During this phase, the body temperature decreases and the muscles relax, which contributes to the relief of tension that can be caused by hard work or life pressures. The heart rate and breathing slow down, and physiological changes occur that contribute to enhancing the functioning of the immune system, and stimulate healing and regeneration processes in the body.

It is worth noting that sleep disorders affect the levels of neurotransmitters and stress hormones, which contributes to causing chaos in the brain, and may lead to poor thinking and emotional regulation. Therefore, insomnia can increase mental health disorders, and this is also true the opposite, as psychological disorders can contribute to increased sleep problems.

Psychological problems resulting from lack of sleep

• Feeling anxious, depressed, or thinking about suicide.
• Having psychotic episodes or paranoia.
• Feeling lonely or socially isolated.
• Lack of concentration at work or study, and inability to make plans and make decisions.
• Low energy to do things.
• Exposure to many problems in daily life at work, home, or with friends.

How does mental health affect sleep?

Mental health affects sleep in several ways

• Anxiety: Recurring thoughts and fears keep you awake at night and can lead to panic attacks that make sleeping difficult.
• Depression and emotional disorders: Depression can increase the number of hours of sleep or cause insomnia.
• Trauma: When exposed to trauma, traumatic memories or negative experiences may be recalled in dreams or night terrors.
• Paranoia and psychosis: These conditions may disturb your sleep as they can cause you to see strange things or hear voices that are not there.
• Mania: Mania may increase activity and enthusiasm or lead to fatigue or a desire to sleep.
• Psychotropic medications: Some psychiatric medications can cause side effects such as insomnia or sleep disturbances and nightmares. Stopping these medications can also cause sleep disturbances.

How does sleep affect overall health?

Lack of sleep causes disturbance in the cognitive process

The harmful effects of lack of sleep are clearly visible on the brain and nervous system, as it can cause cognitive disturbances. These disorders increase the likelihood of making mistakes, may cause a person to make inappropriate decisions, increase the number of traffic accidents, and lead to other accidents as a result of their impact on the ability to think and perform.

Lack of sleep causes mood disturbance

Lack of sleep harms mental health and negatively affects mood, which increases the possibility of depression and other mental illnesses. The effects of lack of sleep appear to increase suicide rates.

Lack of sleep causes poor memory

Sleep is divided into several stages, and during one of these stages, the brain arranges and organizes events and memories. Lack of sleep affects the brain's ability to perform this task, resulting in poor memory.

Lack of sleep causes a weakened immune system

Lack of sleep leads to a weak immune system, as many components of the immune system, such as T cells and cytokines, are produced during sleep. Therefore, constant lack of sleep can increase the possibility of many diseases and infections in the body.

Lack of sleep causes growth and development disorders

Lack of sleep leads to disruption of the growth and development process, as healthy sleep plays an important role in stimulating the secretion of growth hormones. These hormones promote normal growth, increased muscle mass, and cell and tissue repair. For this reason, lack of sleep has a negative impact on the growth and development process, especially during childhood and adolescence.

Lack of sleep causes poor concentration and thinking

Lack of sleep leads to poor concentration and ability to think. If a person does not get enough sleep for a long period of time, this can negatively affect their ability to concentrate and perform daily tasks efficiently.

Lack of sleep causes diabetes

Lack of sleep can increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, as the hormone insulin plays a crucial role in controlling blood sugar levels. When insulin production in the body decreases due to lack of sleep, this can increase the risk of high blood sugar levels and thus increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

Lack of sleep causes weight gain

Lack of sleep causes a disruption in the process of sending nerve signals to the brain, which plays a role in controlling appetite and the feeling of hunger. As a result of this disorder, people can increase their desire to eat, and thus lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain.

Lack of sleep causes heart disease

Lack of sleep leads to high blood pressure and increases inflammatory factors in the body, which can increase the possibility of heart disease. Therefore, it can be said that lack of sleep affects the heart and increases the risk of heart disease.

Lack of sleep causes poor balance

Lack of sleep leads to poor body balance in general and increases the possibility of dizziness. This can cause disturbances in movement and balance, increasing the likelihood of falling accidents.

Lack of sleep causes hallucinations

Lack of sleep can lead to increased disturbances in perception and hallucinations, and increases the possibility of delusions in people, especially those suffering from bipolar disorder. Lack of sleep can also increase the incidence of paranoia and aggressive behavior.

Lack of sleep causes deterioration in skin health

The effect of lack of sleep on the skin is a deterioration in skin quality, which appears in the form of fading of its color and the appearance of lines and wrinkles. This is caused by increased secretion of the hormone cortisol, which can cause damage to important skin proteins such as collagen. In addition, lack of sleep may also affect the secretion of growth hormone, resulting in a reduced cycle of repair and regeneration of cells and tissues in the body in general.

Lack of sleep causes deterioration in eye health

Lack of sleep can cause eye health to deteriorate, which appears in the form of puffy eyes and dark circles around the eyes.

Tips to improve sleep and mental health

Undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy sessions

Cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy can be helpful in improving sleep quality and mental health by exploring and analyzing thought patterns about various aspects of life. The treatment aims to transform negative thoughts into positive thoughts, with the aim of helping to treat mental health disorders and sleep problems.

Improve sleeping habits

You can improve your sleep habits by following these guidelines:

1. Set a sleep schedule: Set a specific time to go to sleep and wake up each day to help your body regulate a sleep pattern.
2. Self-soothing: Use relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga to get rid of overthinking and anxiety that can affect sleep.
3. Avoid stimulants: Reduce your intake of caffeine and alcohol and avoid smoking in the few hours before bed, as these stimulants can affect sleep quality.
4. Reduce the use of electronic devices: Avoid watching TV or using tablets and smartphones before bed, as light and interactions on these devices can cause sleep disturbances.
5. Exercise: Exercise regularly, but avoid strenuous exercise before bed.
6. Choose comfortable sleeping equipment: Choose a mattress, pillow, and bedding that provide the support and comfort needed for sleep.
7. Providing an appropriate environment: block annoying light and noise as much as possible, and make sure the bedroom is cool and comfortable.

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