If sleep deprivation is stressing you out, we can help you understand the link between chronic sleep disruptions and mental health.
Trying to get by on a few hours’ sleep is like driving a car with an almost empty fuel tank – you’re bound to break down eventually. Even if you’re used to contending with tiredness, no one can live their best life without quality sleep. Apart from making you feel physically fatigued, chronic sleep disruptions can also play nasty tricks on your brain.
If insomnia is stressing you out, we can help you better understand the link between quality sleep and mental health.
Sleep = Resilience
When you’re sleep-deprived, molehills can easily turn into mountains. If you want to cry because your coffee order got messed up (we’ve all been there), or fly into a fit of rage because your bus arrived a few minutes late, chances are you need more sleep.
Switching off your brain allows it to reboot after a long day of absorbing information and dealing with stress. By failing to get enough shuteye, you may lose the ability deal with any adversity that comes your way. While the occasional sleepless night probably won’t trigger a mental health crisis, ongoing sleep deprivation can make you a prime target for conditions like anxiety and depression.
Improve Your Sleeping Conditions
If you battle with insomnia every night, your bedroom could be to blame. To wake up feeling well- rested for a change, these tips can help you create ideal sleeping conditions:
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Go without your gadgets – Is your bedroom littered with screens? (Whose isn’t these days?) We know tearing yourself away from technology can be tricky, but the blue light from your devices tricks your brain into thinking its daytime. This throws your body clock out of whack, making sleep more difficult.
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Let there be darkness – To create ideal conditions for sleep, your bedroom needs to be pitch black. Blocking out as much light as possible can work wonders for your sleep habits.
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Get comfortable – Whether you want to treat yourself to some new pillows or go all out and invest in a new mattress, having a comfortable bed is key to quality sleep.
They adjustments may sound simple, but they can make quality sleep (and good mental health) much easier to achieve.
See a Sleep Specialist
Still struggling to get to sleep? You might need to see a doctor who specialises in sleep conditions. By investigating the root cause of your problems, a sleep specialist can help you overcome your insomnia once and for all.
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If you wake up feeling frazzled every morning, you could be suffering from sleep apnoea, a serious medical condition. Sleep apnoea occurs when a person’s airway gets restricted (or completely blocked off) during sleep. It results in chronic sleep interruptions, which in turn can mess with your mental health.
The next time you start feeling down in the dumps, try to remember that good mental health starts with quality sleep.
