The Correlation between Sleep and Mental Health: How Do Restless Nights Worsen Psychiatric Disorders?
You have probably heard the expression, “woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”
A saying commonly associated with being in a bad mood, there’s more clinical factuality than you may think. Our sleep patterns and quality of sleep directly correlate with our daily attitudes and have links to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Moreover, a lack of sleep may worsen pre-existing mental health conditions.
It is estimated that anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of psychiatric patients report chronic sleep deprivation in comparison to 10 to 18 percent of overall adults in the United States. (Reference 1). Although poor sleep and/or insomnia—as well as mental health disorders—are all complex issues that researchers are still actively studying, there appears to be strong evidence that improving one’s sleep may also improve psychiatric disorders.
Psychiatric Disorders Associated with Sleep Patterns
By reviewing what scientists have learned about sleep disorders and how they can potentially affect our mental health, let’s discuss commonly associated psychiatric disorders that may be worsened by our quality of sleep.
Depression
Approximately 300 million people across the world are thought to suffer from depression. Of those, an estimated 75 percent struggle with insomnia. In addition, some individuals with depression experience daytime fatigue and even hypersomnia—which is a habit of oversleeping.
Anxiety
Anxiety disorders put one in a state of hyperarousal, which is believed to be a contributing factor to insomnia. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and phobias. Those with anxiety may have worsened sleep patterns due to excessive worry that keeps them up at night.
In addition, research suggests that poor sleep may actually cause anxiety to develop in certain individuals who are more prone to it genetically.
Bipolar Disorder
Those with bipolar disorder experience a mirage of highs and lows, otherwise known as mania and depression. Typically, when one is in a manic state, they feel like they don’t need as much sleep as when they are in the throes of a depressive episode.
Moreover, evidence suggests that the amount of sleep someone with bipolar disorder gets can worsen or improve their mania or depression. Currently, it is believed that treatment for insomnia alone may actually improve one’s bipolar symptoms.
ADHD
Disrupted sleep patterns in those with ADHD are quite common. They are more likely to wake up frequently throughout the night, suffer from sleep apnea, and experience restless leg syndrome.
The majority of studies done on the relationship between ADHD and sleep have primarily been conducted on children, however, scientists believe that lack of sleep may increase behavior issues and reduce attention span.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder, also referred to as SAD, is a seasonal depression that tends to affect people when our daylight hours are cut short. This is caused by the interruption of our circadian rhythm, otherwise known as our biological clock.
Our circadian rhythm helps control multiple aspects of our body, including our sleep. So, those with SAD are oftentimes suffering from disrupted sleeping patterns and struggle with mental health issues for a period of a few months each year. (Reference 2)
7 Tips to Create Health and Improved Sleep
Oftentimes a lack of sleep can be brought on by our unhealthy habits, such as scrolling through social media before bed. We may not even realize that what we are doing is contributing to our poor sleep patterns.
Here are 7 tips and tricks you can use to help you get a better night’s rest:
Stay on a consistent sleep schedule. Do your best to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, including weekends.
Set a time for you to go to bed. Ensure this time will be early enough for you to get 7 hours of sleep but late enough that you will be sleepy.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine that will help you transition from the day, such as taking a bath.
Avoid bright lights and sounds by minimizing your use of electronic devices.
Don’t lay in bed awake. If you cannot fall asleep, get out of bed and do something else until you feel tired.
Exercise regularly, but do so a few hours before bedtime.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol prior to sleeping.
If you find yourself struggling with chronic sleep issues, you may want to consider seeking out a professional who is qualified to determine if more intensive treatment is needed. (Reference 3)
Testing Patients for Mood Disorders
At MHT, we understand that diagnosing a patient with a mood disorder can be a tedious process in some cases. Not everything is presented as black or white and there may be some overlapping psychiatric issues that need to be resolved.
Our assessments give your patients the ability to complete their screening in the comfort of their own homes, allowing them privacy and the opportunity to think carefully about the questions before answering—providing their clinician with more accurate results.
We have tests that screen for:
Depression
Anxiety
ADHD
PTSD
…and more!
Contact one of our customer service representatives to get more information.
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