The Importance of Sleep and your Mental Health

The Importance of Sleep and your Mental Health

Mental health in the modern world can be difficult to get a handle on and manage, which is why its important to control what you can about your daily life. Getting a full night’s rest is one of the easiest and most important steps you can take to enhance and preserve your mental health. Everyone knows that their body has a natural sleep cycle, and when you break that cycle you feel tired or annoyed. If you resume your schedule you feel better, or your body adjusts to the new cycle after a few days.  Studies have shown that individuals who get less than 7 hours of sleep each night tend to be more irritable and suffer more health effects than those that got 7 – 8 hours every night. Additionally, people who sleep for less than 6 hours begin to suffer a lessening in their mental faculties as their brain doesn’t get the time it needs to repair and rest. This degradation of mental acuity is reversible, if a normal sleeping schedule is promptly followed but years of sleep deprivation can lead to permanent damage. On the other hand, sleeping for more than 8 hours repeatedly can be damaging for your mental and physical health as well. Our bodies require exercise and movement to stay fit and lying in bed for longer than 8 hours can be harmful to you. Excess sleep can be a sign of depression or other mental illness, so if you find yourself suddenly sleeping half the day away, make sure to talk to a trained mental health practitioner about possible reasons.

Once you’ve gotten out of bed, fresh after the ideal 8 hours of rest, make sure to meter your intake of social media and electronics. We know it can be difficult in the modern world to get away from all the screens and detach from the constant flow of information at your fingertips, but studies have shown that the overconsumption of online content is a contributor to the deteriorating mental health of the modern person. Aggregated news services and the ability to constantly compare ourselves to others online has led to increased feelings of anxiety, dread, and low self-worth. Remember to put your phone away during the day and head outside, sunlight and fresh air can both help to improve your mood dramatically. Going for a short 15-minute walk can also make you feel better, as physical activity triggers a release of chemicals designed to relax us. Creating a scheduled time for taking this outdoors break will help create a sense of order in your life, which has also been shown to reduce stress and promote the feeling of being in charge. At the end of the day, be sure to put your phone down about a half-hour before you plan on going to sleep, so your brain has time to adjust. The bright light and stimulation from what you’re reading can cause you to sleep poorly as your brain continues to process what it’s learned as you sleep. Try reading something from a book or newspaper with indirect lighting, or meditating before going to sleep to really get your brain in the right state for a good night’s rest.