Poor sleep can negatively impact your mental health

According to CDC, adults need to get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night, with teenagers and young children needing more than that. However, many Americans do not get enough sleep and are chronically sleep deprived.

Among U.S. adults, one-third say they get less than seven hours of sleep a night. This number is even greater among younger individuals. Around 70% of high school students say they don't get enough sleep on school nights.

This lack of sleep can have a significant impact on a person's mental health. For example, an analysis of 19 studies found that while sleep deprivation worsened a person's ability to think clearly, it had a greater negative impact on their mood. Separately, a 2022 survey from the National Sleep Foundation found that 50% of respondents who said they slept less than seven hours each weekday also reported experiencing depressive symptoms.

According to Aric Prather, a sleep researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, people who have difficulties sleeping may see changes in how they experience stress and negative emotions. "And for some, this can have a feed-forward effect — feeling bad, ruminating, feeling stressed can bleed into our nights," he said.

Certain conditions, such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder, can also make it harder for people to sleep. This can then worsen the symptoms of their mental illnesses, and in turn, make it even harder for them to sleep.

"It becomes this very difficult to break cycle," said Lynn Bufka, a clinical psychologist and spokesperson for the American Psychological Association.

How to improve your sleep habits

To get a better night's sleep, here are six expert-backed tips:

1. Be careful about what you eat and drink close to bedtime

Consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening or eating large meals close to bedtime can have a negative impact on your sleep at night.

2. Practice good sleep hygiene

Going to sleep and waking up around the same time every day can help you get better sleep overall.

3. Avoid using alcohol to unwind at night

Instead, try meditating or taking a warm bath.

4. Avoid using devices with sleep-inhibiting light

Although it can be beneficial to read before bed, try not to read on a computer or tablet that emits sleep-inhibiting light.

5. Reduce potential sleep disturbances

If outside light affects your sleep, consider installing light-blocking shades or curtains. You can also use a sleep mask. For noise issues, you can use earplugs or a white-noise machine to block out unwanted sounds.

6. Consider trying cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) can be a beneficial treatment for people who are struggling with sleep difficulties. According to research, CBTI has been found to be more effective than sleep medications in the long term, and as many as 80% of patients who have tried CBTI have reported improvements in their sleep.

Carly Demler, a 40-year-old stay-at-home mother, used CBTI to help her overcome insomnia and anxiety. CBTI helped her learn to not "lay in bed and freak out" when she couldn't sleep. Instead, she gets up and reads so her bedroom is not associated with anxiety and then returns to bed when she's tired.

"The feeling of gratitude that I have every morning, when I wake up and feel well rested, I don't think will ever go away," she said. "That's been an unexpected silver lining." (Caron, New York Times, 2/19)

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) ranks as the second most prevalent sleep disorder globally. However, it remains significantly underdiagnosed. Only about 20% of the 30 million people in the US living with OSA symptoms are diagnosed, leaving millions of patients untreated. Find out how the prioritization of comprehensive sleep services can help to improve patient outcomes, advance population health goals, and alleviate the economic burden of untreated sleep apnea, and create a competitive advantage for care delivery organizations.