How much does your sleeping pattern impact your mental health?

Jess D’Cruz

Information Content Manager, Mind

There’s a close relationship between sleep and mental health. Living with a mental health problem can affect how well you sleep, and poor sleep can have a negative impact on your mental health.

Everyone needs sleep, but many of us have problems with it. While having difficulties with sleep is not a mental health problem in itself — if you aren’t sleeping well, it can have a real impact on your mental wellbeing. Living with a mental health problem can also affect how well you sleep.

Issues with sleeping patterns

Common sleep problems include finding it hard to fall asleep, staying asleep or waking up earlier than you’d like to (if this is happening regularly, it may be known as insomnia; find out more on the NHS website).

You may also find it hard to wake up or get out of bed and often feel tired or sleepy — this could be because you’re not sleeping enough, not getting good quality sleep or because of health problems. You might experience problems that disturb your sleep, like nightmares and flashbacks. Or you might find that you’re sleeping too much, including at times when you want — or need — to be awake.

Not everyone who has a mental health problem will struggle with sleep, and not all people who struggle with sleep will develop mental health problems.

Connection between sleep and health

If you’re having problems sleeping, you might be more likely to feel anxious or depressed. You may struggle to concentrate or make plans and decisions. You might feel irritable, and you may find you’re more affected by other health problems, including mental health problems.

Jess D’Cruz, Information Content Manager at Mind, says: “We have long known that there is a link between sleep and mental health, though it’s very difficult to establish a causal relationship. Sleeping too much or too little can be a symptom of a mental health problem, while difficulties sleeping can affect our mental health.”

“Not everyone who has a mental health problem will struggle with sleep, and not all people who struggle with sleep will develop mental health problems. If you’re experiencing changes to your mental health or sleep that impact your day-to-day life or last more than two weeks, it’s always a good idea to seek support from your GP. You can also see some tips for improving your sleep on the Mind website. ”