How is Your Sleep Health Linked to Your Mental Health?
Hint: There’s a BIG connection between sleep and emotional well-being.
Sleep is a critical part of your overall health. And the quality and quantity of your sleep are deeply connected to your mental and emotional well-being.
During sleep, the body and mind go through various restorative processes, including repairing and rejuvenating cells, consolidating memories, processing emotions, and cleansing toxins from the brain. Good sleep can help you regulate your emotions better as well as improve cognitive skills like learning and attention.
Sleep is vital for people of any age. But especially in teens, profound mental, physical, social, and emotional development requires quality sleep.
Most American teenagers are sleep deprived: Fewer than one in four U.S. high school students gets the recommended eight hours of sleep per night.1
Researchers like Andrew Fuligni of the University California, Los Angeles, who study the relationship between sleep and depression are unanimous: Adequate sleep could greatly improve many U.S. teenagers’ mental health.
“Poor sleep and depression are reinforcing: depression interferes with sleep, and not enough sleep leaves someone feeling like they don’t have energy to engage in life, which is a symptom of depression.”
Fuligni's research demonstrates that despite some individual variation, most teenagers need about 8.5 hours of sleep to function at their best.2 “Mental health is very sensitive to sleep,” he explains. “To operate at peak levels emotionally and intellectually, most teens should sleep between eight and 10 hours each night. Less than seven and more than 11 hours is unhealthy.”
One way that poor sleep appears to heighten the risk of depression is by activating the body’s stress response system keeping it on high alert long term, altering the levels of cortisol which is the stress hormone which can have a profound impact on many of the body’s system, not just increasing the risk of depression but laying a foundation for chronic conditions such as heart disease later in life, according to Fuligni.
Teenagers’ Mental Health Problems Rose as Adequate Sleep Declined
In 2019, more than one in three high school students reported “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness,” representing a 40% increase from 2009, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).1
There is a strong connection between sleep and symptoms of depression. In a 2019 study, Rachel Widome, PhD and colleagues at the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis showed that about one in three students who slept less than six hours per night had a high number of depression symptoms compared with about one in 10 students who got adequate sleep.3 But inadequate sleep is one of many factors affecting teenagers’ mental health.
The research shows the rise in sleep-deprived teenagers is a long-term trend, reports Widome. “A lot in our society has changed in the last decade, including more time spent using screens, phones, games, computers, and marketing caffeine drinks to adolescents.” In her 2019 study, teenagers who had inadequate sleep tended to spend twice as much time on devices with screens than their peers and were more likely to use those devices after they went to bed.4
Teens and Sleep Takeaways
Fine-Tune Your Sleep Routine - A bedtime routine carried out each night teaches your body that it’s time to go to sleep. Your routine can incorporate some simple lifestyle changes that can help you get enough of the quality sleep you need.
Follow a Sleep Schedule - Going to bed or waking up at the same time every day of the week helps your ability to fall asleep when you want to. Also, a regular schedule helps to sync your circadian rhythm, which dictates when you feel sleepy or awake.
Turn Out the Lights - As you continue to wind down in the evening, dim the lights.
Stop Looking At Screens - There’s a good reason why your brain still feels wide awake when you’re scrolling at 2 AM. Electronic devices emit blue light and prevent the natural production of melatonin, the chemical that tells your brain that it’s time to sleep. If you like to read before bed, try switching out your tablet or phone for a real book. It’s a simple tweak, and you’ll notice how much faster you will drift off to sleep.
Create a Comfy Environment for Sleep - A dark, cool bedroom that is free of distractions is the ideal place to get a good night of sleep.
What Does the Bible Say About Sleep?
Peaceful sleep is one of the incomparable blessings of being a child of God.
Psalm 4:8
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe. (NLT)
Psalm 127:2
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves. (NIV)
Jeremiah 31:26
At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me. (ESV)
Proverbs 3:24
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. (NIV)
Honest, Hard Work Helps Us Sleep
Ecclesiastes 5:12
People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep. (NLT)
God has established a pattern of work and rest for humans. We must allow adequate, regular time for rest and sleep so that God can renew our strength.
Proverbs 6:22
When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you. (NLT)
Job 11:18–19
Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety. You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help. (NLT)
Resources
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), High School Students Who Got 8 or More Hours of Sleep, YRBS Explorer.
[2] Andrew J. Fuligni et al., “Individual Differences in Optimum Sleep for Daily Mood During Adolescence,” Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology 48, no. 3 (2019): 469-79.
[3] Rachel Widome et al., “Correlates of Short Sleep Duration Among Adolescents,” Journal of Adolescence 77 (2019): 163-7.
[4] Rachel Widome et al., “Association of Delaying School Start Time With Sleep Duration, Timing, and Quality Among Adolescents,” JAMA Pediatrics 174, no. 7 (2020): 697-704, doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.0344.
https://www.thensf.org/how-is-your-sleep-health-linked-to-your-mental-health/
https://www.prb.org/resources/more-sleep-could-improve-many-u-s-teenagers-mental-health/
Mabel Martinez-Almonte,
MA, OTR/L, NCC
If you or someone you know is in a crisis, get help immediately. You can text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
DISCLAIMER: The content on this blog is generated for entertainment or/and informative purposes, but not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or behavioral health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.