Insufficient sleep not only negatively affects your physical health, it impacts your mood and mental health as well. Sleep experts recommend we get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. But length of sleep is not the only thing to consider, the quality of sleep is just as big a factor, if not more. Poor quality sleep can heavily influence your outlook on life, energy level, motivation, and emotions.
If you’re feeling low, a lack of quality sleep could well be the cause. Even small levels of sleep deprivation over time can negatively affect your moods and general sense of well-being. You might feel more irritable, depressed and unenthusiastic about life and, over time it won’t only be you that suffers; your lack of good sleep can affect your relationships too.
The link between sleep and mood has been exhaustively (pardon the pun) studied for years. People with insomnia are at a significantly increased risk of depression and anxiety.
Does lack of quality sleep lead to depression? Or does depression lead to a lack of quality sleep? The answer can be a complex one, but a simple answer would be: Both. Lack of sleep and depression can be a vicious circle and lead to long-term health problems that are very difficult to resolve.
If you think you are sleeping either too little or too much on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to discuss it with your doctor so that further tests and a treatment can be found.
