A Good Night’s Sleep Can Boost Your Mental Health
Sleep is closely linked to mental health. Chronic sleeping problems affect 10 to 18 percent of adults. For those with psychological illnesses, this rate grows to 50 to 80 percent. People who have depression, anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar disorder often have trouble sleeping. Basically, sleep problems often manifest in people with mental problems than those in healthy adults.
Why Sleep Affects Mental Health
A good night sleep helps maintain a healthy cognitive function necessary for every day activities. For instance, sleeping for two hours at night would cause the person to have cognitive impairment. This can be harmful especially if he or she drives, or operates a machine at work.
Sleep deficit definitely affects mental performance and ability. In the long run, continuous sleep deficit may lead to long term psychological problems such as depression or anxiety. The quality and quantity of sleep also matters. Sleeping for a few hours make the person feel sleepy. Thus, causing him or her to function poorly during the day.
The mental effects, however, goes beyond feelings of sleepiness. Sleep deprivation can compromise mental health because it prevents the brain from having adequate rest. Sleep allows the brain to organize thoughts and rejuvenate from the daily stresses. Lack of sleep prevents the body from recovering fully and feel completely relaxed.
What Constitutes a Good Night’s Sleep
A good sleep should have at least 4 sleep cycles. Each cycle consists of deep sleep and REM or rapid eye movement. A sleeping person changes sleeping cycle every 90 minutes. However, as sleep deepens, the time allotted to the REM cycle increases. When deep sleep is attained, the body is able to rejuvenate fully.
A good night sleep helps maintain a healthy cognitive function necessary for every day activities. For instance, sleeping for two hours at night would cause the person to have cognitive impairment. This can be harmful especially if he or she drives, or operates a machine at work.
Sleep deficit definitely affects mental performance and ability. In the long run, continuous sleep deficit may lead to long term psychological problems such as depression or anxiety. The quality and quantity of sleep also matters. Sleeping for a few hours make the person feel sleepy. Thus, causing him or her to function poorly during the day.
The mental effects, however, goes beyond feelings of sleepiness. Sleep deprivation can compromise mental health because it prevents the brain from having adequate rest. Sleep allows the brain to organize thoughts and rejuvenate from the daily stresses. Lack of sleep prevents the body from recovering fully and feel completely relaxed.
What Constitutes a Good Night’s Sleep
A good sleep should have at least 4 sleep cycles. Each cycle consists of deep sleep and REM or rapid eye movement. A sleeping person changes sleeping cycle every 90 minutes. However, as sleep deepens, the time allotted to the REM cycle increases. When deep sleep is attained, the body is able to rejuvenate fully.
Just like humans, animals need sleep too. They also experience the REM cycles in their sleep. The patterns of sleeping vary from animal to animal. Predators, like lions, tend to sleep for longer periods.
Interestingly, abnormalities in sleep pattern are only noted in domesticated animals. Animals in the wild do not have the condition. The reason behind this finding is that animals with a sleeping disorder cannot survive in the wild. However, they can thrive when domesticated.
Similar to humans, animals can experience narcolepsy and sleep apnea. Narcolepsy makes the animal or person sleep excessively. Sleep apnea is when the animal stops breathing for several seconds while asleep.
How Much Sleep You Need
Sleep patterns vary from person to person. Typically, adults need at least 7 hours of sleep at night. Babies require longer, usually 16 hours. Teenagers need a minimum of 9 hours. To get the maximum rejuvenation from sleep, quality sleep and the required number of hours must go hand-in hand.
Older people may not get enough sleep due to physical illnesses or medications. Lack of sleep, however, may compound their medical condition. It’s a vicious cycle but it is important for them to get as much sleep as possible.
An estimated 70 million Americans of various ages experience chronic sleeping problems. Sleep apnea and insomnia are the usual reasons. These conditions are treated in various ways. Since sleep is a necessary component to good health, the patient needs to get treatment for sleeping problems right away.
Older people may not get enough sleep due to physical illnesses or medications. Lack of sleep, however, may compound their medical condition. It’s a vicious cycle but it is important for them to get as much sleep as possible.
An estimated 70 million Americans of various ages experience chronic sleeping problems. Sleep apnea and insomnia are the usual reasons. These conditions are treated in various ways. Since sleep is a necessary component to good health, the patient needs to get treatment for sleeping problems right away.
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