In today’s fast-paced world, we are living in, we all are too busy with our lives. The daily stresses make it hard for us to maintain our mental health in good condition. But nowadays, it is needed more than ever before to focus on our mental health and have a healthy state of mind.
An important factor that is often not given that much importance for maintaining good mental well-being is sleep. A sound good night’s sleep always helps to let you stay both physically and mentally well.
Read on to learn the significance of good quality sleep for enhancing your mental health, the science behind it, and the strategies to improve your sleep quality for a more balanced mind.
The Connection between Sleep and Mental Health
You almost always feel alert, relaxed, and refreshed after a good night’s sleep. This link between your sleep and improving mental health is a bit deeper. Research has already proven this connection and highlighted the need to sleep well to keep yourself emotionally and psychologically fit.
A study published in the Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal demonstrated that not getting sufficient sleep can make you depressed and anxious disturbing your mental health state. This is a two-way process in which bad mental health disturbs your sleep and not having enough sleep then causes more mental health problems.
The Science Related To Sleep and Mental Health
When you know the science behind sleep and improvement in your mental health, you will be more aware of its importance and also what you need to do accordingly. The two stages of sleep are rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement. Each stage has its function including regulating your emotions, retaining your memory, and also some other cognitive functions.
A study from the Annu Rev Clin Psychol. Journal showed that your brain has processing and regulation of emotions during the REM sleep period. So this phase is critical for your emotional resilience and for giving you the strength to cope with stress. If you have disrupted REM sleep, you are likely to have more mood disorders.
During non-REM sleep, your brain processes and stores the information you got that day and also enhances your memory. A study in the Curr Opin Neurobiol Journal highlighted that insufficient sleep disturbs the brain region ‘hippocampus’ which is important for regulating your emotions and memory.
How Sleep Deprivation Causes Mental Health Problems?
As already mentioned, chronic sleep deprivation makes you more susceptible to mental health problems. Let’s see how this happens.
Although several mechanisms control this process, we will talk very simply. When you don’t get enough sleep, the balance of neurotransmitters in your brain gets disturbed. Mostly those neurotransmitters are related to regulating your mood.
Secondly, when you don’t get sufficient sleep, it impairs the function of your prefrontal cortex. This portion of the brain works by giving you decision-making power, controlling your emotions, and also your interaction with others. So insufficient sleep makes it hard for you to cope with daily stresses and this leads to mental health disorders.
Tips To Improve Your Sleep for a Balanced Mind
Knowing the significant impact of sleep on mental health, you want to now know the strategies that can help you have good sleep. Here are mentioned few of them to make your task easy.
Go for a consistent sleep routine:
Having a regular sleep-wake cycle sets your internal body clock and circadian rhythm. This gives you a better sleep quality as daily you will feel sleepy at almost the same time and will go to bed.
Make a relaxing bedtime schedule:
Plan some relaxing activities before your bedtime. This gives your body the signal that it is time to sleep and wind down. You can do book reading, listen to something soothing, try mindfulness techniques, have some soothing tea, or even have a warm bath. These things can calm your mind, reduce your stress, and give you good sleep.
Avoid screen before bedtime:
It has become our habit to look at the screen of our mobile for long hours not only during the day but also during the whole night. You need to limit that for good sleep on time and better mental health. Otherwise blue light from these devices disturbs the melatonin production which is the sleep hormone. This makes it hard for you to fall asleep.
A study published in the Sleep Medicine Journal found that participants who had more screen time had less duration of sleep and more difficulty in falling asleep compared to those with less screen time.
Make your sleep environment calm and comfortable:
The environment you have for sleeping has a huge impact on your rest quality. Make your room slightly dark and also quiet. As per the weather, make it cool or warm and spray some calming fragrance. Buy a comfortable mattress and pillows. This will highly improve your sleep quality and promote restful nights.
Don’t take caffeine or any other stimulant:
Avoid stimulants like drinks with too much tea leaves or very strong coffee before bedtime as the caffeine in these can disrupt your sleep. Research from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine has mentioned that close to bedtime caffeine does have significant sleep-disruptive impacts.
Stay physically active:
Doing regular physical activity also lessens your risk of insomnia. It makes you tired too and you fall asleep early. A study published in the Cureus Journal found that moderate-intensity physical activity helps insomnia patients in having good sleep.
Conclusion
For maintaining good mental health, the importance of sleep can never be denied. Research has shown a clear link between sleep and mental health. Sleep deprivation can make you prone to mental health issues while good sleep contributes to a balanced mind and a better ability to cope with challenges in your life. Follow the tips mentioned in this article to improve your sleep quality and enhance your mental well-being. It is something you should never deny.
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