Insomnia and mental health: learn how to cope and preserve your well-being

Understand the relationship between insomnia and mental health and take a look at tips on how to maintain your well-being.

A good night’s sleep is directly related to mental well-being. People who suffer from insomnia face several challenges, including the impact on the mental health of those who have difficulty sleeping. Likewise, mental disorders can cause insomnia. What to do to sleep better? How to slow down the mind and allow the body to enter a resting phase? Why is sleep quality so important for health? In this article we explain the relationship between insomnia and mental health, providing advice on how to preserve your well-being. If you want to know more, keep reading!

What is the relationship between insomnia and mental health?

Sleep is an essential activity for the functioning of our body. When we sleep, our body carries out metabolic functions related to cellular recovery, carrying out the regenerative processes necessary to restore our energy. When we don’t sleep well, we tend to have memory problems, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, lack of energy, among other symptoms. In other words, our quality of life suffers, causing problems for the body and mind. How does insomnia affect this situation? Insufficient or irregular sleep can cause damage to various aspects of life, mainly linked to our interpersonal relationships. Therefore, a person suffering from insomnia has his cognitive functions impaired. This is reflected in poor performance during daily activities, being subject to higher levels of stress. It is important to note that difficulty sleeping and insomnia are not the same thing. In the first case, the person may take longer to fall asleep in specific situations, for example the day before a very important day or at a time when she is most overwhelmed. Insomnia is a pathological problem, that is, a disease. Therefore, professional support is needed to treat the situation and avoid the negative impacts mentioned above.

What are sleep-related mental disorders?

As you have seen so far, drowsiness during the day, bad mood and poor cognitive performance are some of the consequences brought by insomnia. But it doesn’t end here! There are also mental disorders linked to sleep quality, including:

• Depression: This disorder causes many difficulties in falling asleep and staying asleep. Therefore, many patients experience changes in sleep patterns when suffering from the disease;
• ADHD: Insufficient sleep is a major factor in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. After all, a person with fragmented sleep cannot fully restore their metabolism and faces cognitive limitations;
• Anxiety: Anxiety attacks can occur due to insomnia or be the cause of it. Excessive worry does not allow our mind to relax, preventing restful sleep;
• Bipolar disorder: Lack of sleep impairs mood and is also a trigger for relapses in people suffering from bipolar disorder.

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How to deal with insomnia and maintain mental well-being?

We know that insomnia is not a choice, however it is possible to adopt habits that help alleviate its effects and promote a better quality of life. The result is an improvement in your mental well-being, avoiding several problems related to poor sleep. Among these habits we can mention:

Do sleep hygiene

A well-defined sleep routine is very important to combat insomnia. Sleep hygiene involves various attitudes that help make all this possible. For example, set a time to go to sleep and a time to wake up, use your room only for sleeping, and create an environment conducive to sleep. Additionally, it is also important to establish a routine to prepare your body. You can take a bath while listening to quieter music, use air fresheners, or drink tea. With consistency, your body will be better prepared to enter a state of rest.

Be careful with medications

Some people believe that sleeping pills are the solution to all problems. But not quite! First of all, it is important to underline that any drug can only be taken under medical advice. After all, drugs can cause addiction and other side effects. There is also the fact that many of these drugs only work as sedatives, that is, they do not put the body to sleep with the quality needed to acquire the benefits of sleep.

Give priority to quality of life

To sleep well, keep in mind that your daily focus should be on quality of life. This means eating better – a balanced diet provides the nutrients needed for the body to function – exercising, avoiding excessive stimulants – such as caffeine and alcohol. By adopting all the advice you will enjoy benefits for your body and mind, having more energy, resistance and health.

Adopt relaxation techniques

Relaxation techniques, such as meditation, yoga and deep breathing, are also excellent allies for quality sleep. You can practice them during the day and even do a few sessions before going to bed. In the case of deep breathing, it is possible to do it even when you are lying down to sleep. By focusing on your breathing, you help your body enter a state of relaxation and fall asleep.

Get therapy

When we talk about mental well-being we cannot leave therapy aside. For those who have difficulty sleeping, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is an effective approach to treatment. The techniques adopted during this process help patients shift their focus from negative expectations and become more confident in the quality of sleep they will have. It is based on the idea that our thoughts, behaviors and emotions play a significant role in the quality of our sleep. Dealing with insomnia is not easy, and each person responds differently to treatments. So try different strategies to find the one that works best for you. The important thing is to be consistent and patient in implementing these practices and seek professional help to maintain your mental well-being.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.