Hey, How Did You Sleep Last Night?
For something we spend about a third of our lives doing, we likely don’t pay enough attention to sleep. Our focus on it typically only arises when something disrupts a good night’s rest: “the baby kept us up all night,” “I pulled an all-nighter to finish that,” “can you believe that guy mowing his lawn at 6 am?”
First, let’s ensure we distinguish between a night or two of insufficient sleep and chronic sleep deprivation. One or two poor nights of sleep won’t cause significant permanent damage. You may feel a bit grumpy, groggy, or low in energy the next day, but recovery is possible. The more serious health effects arise from frequent occurrences of not getting enough sleep and the impact that can have on you.
Effects on Mental Health
Does sleep impact your mental health? Yes, it certainly does, and the evidence is clear. We’ve all felt irritable after a night or two of poor sleep, but we are talking about chronic sleep deprivation.
Research in this area is still evolving, yet several studies have established connections between sleep and mental health disorders. While poor sleep can be a symptom of mental health conditions like anxiety or depression, research indicates that sleep can also trigger or worsen these disorders. This information comes from Columbia University:
“…otherwise healthy people can experience increased anxiety and distress levels following poor sleep. Those with mental health disorders are even more likely to experience chronic sleep problems and, in turn, these sleep problems are likely to exacerbate psychiatric symptoms and even increase risk for suicide.”
Effects on Physical Health
One or two nights of bad sleep can reduce physical energy. But if you sustain that for a while, the risks start piling up fast. Once again, science continues to evolve on this matter; however, there are some very strong correlations between individuals who do not get enough sleep and conditions such as Type II diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Moreover, sleep has been clearly shown to enhance immune system responses. Insufficient sleep significantly increases your risk of various illnesses, from the common cold to influenza to lupus. Additionally, a weakened immune system has strong correlations with increased cancer rates.
How To Get More Sleep
How do we get more sleep? There is a lot of information on how to get a better night’s sleep. Be a little careful when surfing the internet for the easy solution – there are a lot of fads and “quick fixes” that are sure to cure what ails you. The real solutions take some effort, but nothing outrageous.
Nearly all reputable sources for making recommendations about sleep talk about “sleep hygiene”. There are some major cornerstones of what this means. In my research, these are the most consistently mentioned:
- Have a routine and stick to it. Try to go to bed at similar times and wake up at similar times.
- Avoid caffeine later in the day
- Don’t eat within a couple of hours of bedtime
- Put screens away long before bedtime. The longer, the better.
Do these things consistently, and you’re almost certain to improve your sleep, not just the duration, but also the quality. There are more things you can research them from reputable places, keep track of your results, and see what works best for you.
Mission accomplished? Well… all this talk about improving your sleep might have you worrying about sleep. When you worry about sleep, it can be hard to fall asleep, making the problem worse. This has been a big one in my life – it’s called sleep anxiety, and it’s a real thing.
Telling someone “not to worry” is not a solution. However, one thing many cite as an effective treatment (including me) is leaning on the sleep hygiene practice mentioned above. A bad night’s sleep will happen. But trust the process, continue to practice good hygiene, and know that it is what your body and brain want.
You will sleep; if you don’t tonight, you’ll get the next one.
