You’ve heard when someone is in a bad mood that they “woke up on the wrong side of the bed”, it’s because sleep and mental health are closely tied together. Research is ongoing but evidence has shown that sleep and mental health have a cyclical or bidirectional effect with each other. For example mental health disorders tend to cause issues with quality and proper sleep and then with a lack of sleep, this compounds the effects of worsening mental health problems.
Research has found that brain activity during sleep has real effects on mental and emotional health. Enough sleep, especially REM sleep, helps the brain’s processing of emotional information. The brain during sleep works to evaluate and remember thoughts and memories, and it’s shown that a lack of sleep is especially harmful and can influence mood and emotional reactivity. Which is tied to mental health disorders and their severity, including the risk of suicidal ideas or behaviors.1
- The Sleep Foundation – How is mental health related to sleep
