A poor night’s sleep causes grogginess and irritability in the morning. These issues are often short-lived and disappear once proper sleep patterns resume. However, chronic nighttime issues don’t allow your mind and body to recover, so your symptoms worsen over time. In fact, sleep disorders have been linked to several mental illnesses or conditions.
Although lack of sleep is often caused by personal choices, it may also result from neurological problems. For instance, those with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, or cancer may suffer from sleep problems. Hormonal changes, medications, shift work, and other issues could also lead to such disorders. For more information on how sleep patterns alter mental health, keep reading.
The Link Between Sleep Disorders and Mental Illness
According to experts, several common disorders affect your sleep. These include insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, snoring, and circadian rhythm disorders.
Although these issues alter your sleep patterns in varying ways, the symptoms you endure are often the same. You may have trouble falling or staying asleep and experience headaches in the morning. You may also experience nightmares, physical reactions to dreams, frequent movements, or irregular breathing.
Though these symptoms are cause for concern, chronic sleep disorders also affect mental health. In fact, the worse your sleep problems become, the more your mind suffers. Along with daytime sleepiness, you may experience mood or behavioral changes, accidents, or falls. The longer your sleep issues continue, the worse your mental health becomes.
Chronic sleep issues can worsen mental health
Sleep not only prevents fatigue in the morning but also throughout the day. It also affects the physical body, improving cardiovascular, respiratory, and immune functions, and boosts metabolism. However, your mental health also benefits because sleep manages hormone release, memory, problem-solving, and other cognitive functions.
However, sleep disorders prevent the body from experiencing these mental health benefits. Rather than recovering from the stresses of the day, poor sleep habits increase any cognitive issues you’re dealing with.
According to recent evidence, the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory, is damaged due to a lack of sleep. This is likely due to a decrease in pleiotrophin, a protein linked to cell growth and survival. Lower levels may result in cognitive impairment and other mental health issues.
Conditions caused by lack of sleep
Experts have linked several sleep disorders with mental health conditions. A common issue is depression, which occurs frequently in those plagued with insomnia. In fact, depression occurs twice as often in insomniacs as in those with no sleep disorders.
Schizophrenia is a severe condition causing hallucinations, delusions, and altered thinking patterns and behaviors. Up to 80% of those with the condition experience sleep apnea, circadian rhythm problems, or other sleep issues.
Alzheimer’s, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and stress are also linked to sleep disorders. However, studies also show that stress and sleep disorders have a bidirectional relationship. Stress causes problems with sleep, which then increases mental and physical health issues. The more your mental health suffers, the more stressed you become, creating a vicious cycle that is difficult to overcome.
Resources:
- OHSU, Understanding Sleep Disorders
https://www.ohsu.edu/brain-institute/understanding-sleep-disorders - Cleveland Clinic, June 19, 2023, Sleep Disorders
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11429-sleep-disorders - NIH, Why Is Sleep Important?
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/why-sleep-important - ACS, Sept. 6, 2023, How Sleep Deprivation Can Harm The Brain
https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2023/september/how-sleep-deprivation-can-harm-brain.html - UT Southwestern Medical Center, May 22, 2017, Sleep disorders and mental illness go hand in hand
https://utswmed.org/medblog/sleep-disorders-mental-illness/ - PMC, June 29, 2022, Mental Health Conditions According to Stress and Sleep Disorders
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9265846/
This content comprises informative and educational resources only and can not be considered as a substitute for professional health or medical guidance. Reliance on any information provided in this article is solely at your own risk. If you have any inquiries or apprehensions about your medical condition or health goals, talk with a licensed physician or healthcare provider.
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