{"id":20439,"date":"2023-04-27T06:45:33","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T11:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?p=20439"},"modified":"2023-07-19T10:52:52","modified_gmt":"2023-07-19T15:52:52","slug":"the-psychology-of-sleep-understanding-mental-healths-impact-on-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-psychology-of-sleep-understanding-mental-healths-impact-on-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"The Psychology of Sleep: Understanding Mental Health\u2019s Impact on Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting a good night\u2019s sleep is important for several reasons. For one, it can improve your mood. Without it, however, you can lose a lot more than a sunny disposition. For one, <\/span>sleep deficiency can cause physical health issues<\/span><\/a> like kidney and <\/span>heart disease<\/span><\/a>, stroke and diabetes. It also has a cyclical relationship with mental health.<\/span><\/p>\n

While <\/span>10-18% of American adults experience sleep issues<\/span><\/a>, the number jumps to 50-80% when looking at a typical psychiatric office\u2019s patients. These numbers seem to suggest a connection between mental health and sleep. In particular, patients with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are the most likely to experience some kind of difficulty sleeping.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mental health has a unique relationship to sleep, since many conditions can cause sleep problems or have unique ways of impacting sleep. Understanding the details of these conditions and how they interact with one another can help identify potential issues and seek treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What are the common mental health conditions?<\/h2>\n

Mental health conditions can affect a person\u2019s cognitive ability, emotions and behavior. They can impact a person\u2019s day-to-day life, and they can vary in severity from mild to extreme. There is a wide range of conditions that can impact a person\u2019s mental health, and each has its own symptoms and treatment options.<\/span><\/p>\n

Depression<\/h2>\n

Depression is usually accompanied by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest in engaging in various activities. This can include neglecting personal responsibilities and duties such as hygiene, work, school or relationships. A 2020 study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimated that within a year, 21 million Americans (or 8.4% of the population) had <\/span>experienced a major depressive episode<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anxiety disorders<\/h2>\n

Though they can express themselves in different ways, <\/span>anxiety disorders<\/span><\/a> are generally characterized by excessive fear or worry that can interfere with a person\u2019s daily life. This includes panic disorders. According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), <\/span>anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the US<\/span><\/a>, affecting more than 19% of adults annually.<\/span><\/p>\n

Phobic disorder<\/h2>\n

A <\/span>phobic disorder, or phobia<\/span><\/a>, is a type of anxiety disorder in which an individual experiences intense fear or revulsion to an object or situation. People with phobias will react to a specific phenomenon, and in some cases, alter their lifestyle to avoid contact with a phobia trigger. <\/span>Phobias are estimated to affect 12.5% of adults<\/span><\/a> during their lifetime.<\/span><\/p>\n

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)<\/h2>\n

People with <\/span>OCD<\/span><\/a> often have intrusive thoughts and engage in unwanted, repetitive behaviors to reduce anxiety. Potential obsessive thoughts include dwelling on germs and cleanliness or feelings of aggression. Compulsive behavior includes repeatedly counting something or washing hands an excessive amount.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While in many cases these can be seen as normal behavior, these behaviors and thoughts can be categorized as OCD when they are uncontrollable or begin to interfere with an individual\u2019s life. NIMH identifies OCD as a condition affecting <\/span>1.2% of the US population<\/span><\/a>, with women accounting for three times as many cases as men.<\/span><\/p>\n

Schizophrenia<\/h2>\n

A person with <\/span>schizophrenia<\/span><\/a> may experience symptoms such as disordered thinking, hallucinations and delusions that can limit their ability to function normally. Approximately <\/span>1% of American adults experience schizophrenia<\/span><\/a>. In men, symptoms begin to appear during their late teens or early 20s. In women, symptoms typically develop later, with schizophrenic behavior developing into their 20s or 30s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bipolar disorder<\/h2>\n

Individuals with <\/span>bipolar disorder<\/span><\/a> experience extreme shifts in mood and energy. These shifts are categorized into manic episodes (characterized by euphoria or irritability) and depressive episodes (characterized by sadness, indifference, and depression). The frequency and nature of these episodes can help to diagnose which type of bipolar disorder a person is experiencing as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)<\/h2>\n

Although many people experience trauma inevitably in life, these events have the potential to trigger <\/span>PTSD<\/span><\/a>. This condition can cause symptoms like nightmares, intense anxiety, and flashbacks. It can also co-occur with other conditions such as depression, substance use and memory disorders. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, <\/span>PTSD affects 5% of adults each year<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

How is mental health related to sleep?<\/h2>\n

As mentioned, <\/span>mental health and sleep<\/span><\/a> are closely related. In 2021, researchers from the CDC observed the <\/span>relationship between sleep and mental distress<\/span><\/a>, and found that participants who averaged less than 6 hours of sleep were 2.5 times more likely to experience frequent mental distress. Although this simply shows a strong correlation between the two and not a causality, you can make the connection that lack of sleep can worsen symptoms of a mental health disorder.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, in clinical samples, nearly <\/span>75% of depressed patients reported symptoms of insomnia<\/span><\/a>. Since sleep can affect the overall quality of life and happiness, issues falling asleep can lead to worse depression.<\/span><\/p>\n

As such, <\/span>getting enough sleep can help<\/span><\/a> maintain good mental health by reducing depression and <\/span>anxiety<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sleep and specific mental health problems<\/h2>\n

Some mental health and sleep issues can be more directly related to one another. In some cases, one condition will feed into or cause another. Other conditions have properties that make a co-occurring condition more likely.<\/span><\/p>\n