Between jobs, schooling, kids, family, and everything in between, it is not uncommon to see people pushing their days extra long, just to fit all of their errands into it. This does not leave a lot of extra time in the night to get a good nights sleep.
About two thirds of Americans say they do not get a good nights sleep during the week, according to a survey taken by the Sleep Foundation. The lack of sleep is caused by many different factors, especially amongst different generations. Many people feel like it is simply not possible to get enough sleep, and that they function fine without the requisite 8 hours – but what long term impacts could this have?
Whatever the reason that you may not be getting enough sleep, there are a number of adverse effects it has on your mental health. Hopefully you will be able to find some extra time to sleep, or maybe you can make some changes before you start to suffer from one of the following mental disorders.
Depression
There are studies using different methods and populations that have estimated that about 65% to 90% of adult patients with major depression, and about 90% of children with depression experience some kind of sleep problem. Most of these people suffer from insomnia, however there are some cases that are linked to obstructive sleep apnea.
Bipolar Disorder
Studies report that 69% to 99% of patients experience insomnia or report less need for sleep during a manic episode of bipolar disorder. In bipolar depression, however, studies report that 23% to 78% of patients sleep too much while others may experience insomnia or restless sleep.
Anxiety Disorders
Sleep problems affect more than 50% of adult patients with generalized anxiety disorder. One study found that younger people with an anxiety disorder took longer to fall asleep, and slept less deeply, when compared with a control group of healthy children. While insomnia is less likely to cause anxiety as it is depression, it is certainly very likely to worsen existing anxiety.
ADHD
Sleep problems affect 25% to 50% of children with ADHD. Typical problems include difficulty falling asleep, shorter sleep duration, and restless slumber. A lot of cases of ADHD are liked with a number of different sleep disorder breathing-related issues, as well as restless leg syndrome, and other different disorders.
If you are worried about what your sleep habits may do to your mental health, there are some different things you can try to help you get rid of your insomnia
Lifestyle changes
If you are a drinker or a smoker, it would be best to just give them both up altogether, but doing so is not always practical for everybody. Simply try to avoid them before bed time.
Physical activity
Regular aerobic activity helps people fall asleep faster, spend more time in deep sleep, and awaken less often during the night.
Good sleep hygiene
Good “sleep hygiene” is the term often used to include tips like maintaining a regular sleep-and-wake schedule, using the bedroom only for sleeping or sex, and keeping the bedroom dark and free of distractions like the computer or television.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Because people with insomnia tend to become preoccupied with not falling asleep, cognitive behavioral techniques help them to change negative expectations and try to build more confidence that they can have a good night’s sleep.
If doing some of these absolutely do not help you get a better nights sleep, there is always an option of trying various sleep medications. Of course, if you fall into one of the mental disorders, there are medical treatment options to help you as well.
To learn more about sleep disorders, and how they can effect you, follow this link to a study done by Harvard.
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