Discover Why Sleep is so Important for your Mental Health and Wellbeing
It can be easy for anyone to fall into a cycle of not quite getting enough sleep. Any number of triggers can tip you over into a level of regular insufficient sleep - a frantic work schedule or stress from your job, babies or children waking you up in the night, staying out late or burning the candle at both ends.
And once you are there it can be hard to escape the negative sleep cycle trap.
You might not notice a physical difference immediately and feel like you`re coping. However, you might just wonder why you're temper is a bit quicker than normal, or you are noticing your memory isn't quite as good as usual.
There is a very good reason why doctors and health professional suggest sleep and rest when you're not feeling 100% or when you're run down or burnt out. Sleep is the opportunity that your body and mind need to recharge and to regulate your mood and mental wellbeing.
But why exactly is sleep so incredibly vital for our emotional and mental wellbeing?
There have been decades of research and studies that clearly demonstrate that sleep deprivation (especially if it becomes more long term) has a negative impact on our mood, coping ability, feelings, memory and both our mental and physical capacity to perform.
Not getting enough good quality sleep on a regular basis can leave you vulnerable to anxiety, low mood, high irritability levels and not being able to cope when you normally would.
In addition to the impact on our emotional wellbeing, insufficient sleep can heavily influence our cognitive function and thinking ability, and you may notice you are making more errors than usual or are a bit clumsy. You might find that you are a bit forgetful, or your mind just doesn't process information so well or feel as sharp as normal.
In extreme cases, a lack of sleep can result in a normally healthy, happy person becoming someone you barely recognise (even if that's yourself!). And that is why getting enough hours of good quality sleep is absolutely crucial to maintaining and contented and joyful life!
Humans are not designed to function without sleep. So, despite the demands of modern society possibly trying to convince you otherwise, it definitely isn't optional! Sleep is the time our minds and bodies need to recharge.
The right amount of good quality sleep helps to keep illness at bay, your mind and memory working well, your mood well regulated and under your own control, your physical body strong, and your emotional health in good shape.
So, it goes without saying, that for us, good sleep is a non-negotiable. And making ways to achieve that possible is always a priority! What works for one person will be different to what works for another, but finding your best way to get good sleep for long enough, is the key.
We have outlined the easiest lifestyle tweaks you can make to help get a better night's sleep in our blog here -
And if you need a little help, and some nutritional support, then you can look at this blog to find out which supplements can help improve sleep -
