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Brain’s Nightly Detox

Sleep and mental health go hand in hand. Dark circles, a bad mood, and less productivity are all signs of sleep deprivation.

It is not just about getting sleep but getting sleep at the right time. If your sleeping schedule is disturbed, you must be experiencing some signs in daily life. We will discuss how one knows if they are getting enough sleep or not. Also, sleep and mental health will be discussed, so stay till the end.

How to Know if You Are Getting Enough Sleep?

Sleep deficiency can come with a feeling of tiredness during the day. You may not feel refreshed and alert when you wake up. It will interfere with your work, school, driving and social functioning.

Are you often not able to concentrate on even basic tasks? Do you feel like dozing off while reading a book, or can’t concentrate on what is showing on your screen? These are some signs of sleep deprivation; here are more:

  • Cognitive and Mental Signs: Difficulty focusing on tasks, making decisions or solving problems. You may start forgetting things more easily. There can be increased feelings of anxiety, depression or stress. You may have trouble meeting deadlines or make more mistakes.
  • Physical Signs: Feeling tired or falling asleep during routine activities. Having headaches more frequently and feeling a lack of physical strength. Also, you may respond to things slowly, and it can make driving difficult.
  • Other Warning Signs: Experiencing brief, involuntary moments of sleep while awake, also known as microsleeps. Thinking about sleep issues during the day is also a sign.

If you are experiencing these signs, you’d better get your sleep schedule on line and consult an expert on time.

Sleep, Mental Health, Physical Health and Daytime Performances

During sleep, the body works to support healthy brain function and physical health. In children and teens, it does help support growth and development. The damage from sleep deficiency can happen in an instant, or it can harm you over time.

Ongoing sleep deficiency can raise the risk of some chronic health problems. It can affect the capability to think, react, work, learn and get along with others.

Mental Health BenefitsPhysical Health BenefitsDaytime Performance and Safety
  • Sleep helps the brain work properly. While you sleep, your brain is getting ready for the next day. It does go through a “charging” process when we sleep.
  • Studies show that a good night’s sleep helps improve learning and problem-solving skills.
  • Sleep deficiency can change activity in some parts of the brain. If you are sleep-deficient, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, and controlling emotions.
  • Children and teens who are sleep-deficient may have problems getting along with others.
  • Good quality sleep can help you heal and repair your heart and blood vessels.
  • It does help support a healthy balance of the hormones.
  • When you don’t get enough sleep, your level of ghrelin goes u,p and the leptin goes down.

(Ghrelin and leptin are hormones that regulate appetite, with ghrelin stimulating hunger and leptin signalling fullness.)

  • Good sleep does support healthy growth and development, especially in children and teens.
  • Getting good sleep at the right time helps you function well throughout the day.
  • Individuals who are sleep deprived are less productive at work and school.
  • Sleep-deprived individuals take a longer time to finish tasks, have a slower reaction time and make more mistakes.
  • Lack of sleep may lead to microsleep. It refers to a brief moment of sleep that happens when you are normally awake. It makes tasks like driving more dangerous.
  • After several nights of losing sleep, even a loss of just 1 or 2 hours per night, your ability to function suffers.

FAQs: Sleep and Mental Health

Q1. What are the risks associated with sleep deprivation?

Sleep deprivation poses risks to both physical and mental health, increasing the likelihood of injuries, chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, and impairing cognitive functions such as concentration and memory.

Q2. How to know if I am sleep deprived?

You can determine if you are sleep deprived by recognising various physical, mental, and emotional signs and symptoms, the most common of which is feeling constantly tired or sleepy during the day.

Q3. Do I need to consult with a healthcare provider for sleep deprivation?

Yes, you should consult a healthcare provider if you regularly have trouble sleeping, feel excessively sleepy during the day, or don’t feel rested when you wake up.

Final Thoughts

At Chermside, we understand that these hectic schedules must lead to less sleep and more tiredness. You can consult with a healthcare professional regarding this. Although sleep deprivation doesn’t always mean an underlying health issue, it can result from various lifestyle and environmental factors or be a key symptom of an underlying medical or mental health condition.

Refernce

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute