Mental health and sleep quality are deeply interconnected, creating what experts often refer to as a cyclical relationship.
Or, as Amanda Chocko, Sleep Coach at Mentavi Health puts it, “It’s really a question of what comes first, the chicken or the egg?”
Her answer? “You have to do both at the same time.”
How sleep affects mental health
During deep sleep phases, our bodies engage in essential maintenance work. “When we’re going through our deep sleep, that’s when a lot of the processes through our glymphatic system are happening. We’re flushing out all the toxins in our brain,” explains Chocko. Research shows that this cleansing process is vital for cognitive health, finding that poor sleep increases the risk of depression, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.
REM sleep plays an equally important role. Chocko describes this stage as “our mind-spa time,” where we process memories and balance emotions, building the resilience needed to face each new day. Without adequate REM sleep, we become more vulnerable to mood disturbances: “If our sleep is poor, we’re more apt to have anxiety and stress — the things that we don’t want to add on to any mental health concerns.
And how mental health affects sleep
The relationship also works in the opposite direction, where mental health conditions like anxiety can significantly disrupt sleep patterns. “If you’re anxious and you’re in fight-or-flight mode and you really have your cortisol whipping up because of anxiety, it’s going to wreck your sleep,” states Chocko.
Breaking the cycle
The best way forward is a comprehensive approach. Chocko notes that therapy and medication can help, but recommends stress management throughout the day as the best approach. “Reframing and really working on healthy habits contribute a lot. [Because] it’s not only sleep — it’s nutrition, it’s movement, it’s getting out in nature. All of these things can really help with mental health. And they can also help with sleep.”
Sleep problems (and solutions) 101
Trouble falling asleep
Stress, anxiety, and caffeine are all factors that have been proven to disrupt sleep. So, managing these factors through daytime habits and establishing a proper wind-down routine can make a significant difference.
Nighttime awakening
Multiple factors can cause you to wake in the middle of the night, including hormonal fluctuations and hot flashes, blood sugar imbalances, nighttime bathroom trips, and digestive issues, as well as other conditions like histamine problems and sleep apnea.
When you wake during the night, some useful strategies for getting back to sleep include:
- Using sound machines: “White noise machines and just that humming of that white noise machine can help.” Not only does this drown out any extraneous sounds that may keep you awake, it also helps to distract you from ruminating thoughts. There are also many apps that offer various options including nature sounds and relaxing music.
- Avoiding clock-watching: “The minute you look at the clock, it’s gonna be, oh no. I have to get up in two hours. Can’t be tired tomorrow.” This will trigger your stress hormones and make it very difficult to fall back asleep.
- Leaving the bed if you can’t fall back asleep: “If you find yourself in bed, still awake 20 to 30 minutes and you’re tossing and turning, it is recommended that you get out of your bed.” It is important for your brain to associate your bed with sleeping. Get out of bed and engage in a relaxing activity until you feel sleepy again.
Waking too early
Early morning awakening can become a pattern as “your circadian rhythm can all of a sudden say ‘Oh, this must be the time we wake up.’” This happens when your cortisol level increases too early. One way to reset your circadian rhythm is to set a regular bedtime, even on weekends. Be sure to expose your eyes to early morning sunlight and dim the lights in the evening. You may even try incrementally setting a later bedtime to see if that helps you to extend your waketime.
Sleep Coaching can help
Fixing your sleep can be a challenge. It often requires habit change and getting to the root cause of your insomnia. Working with a sleep coach can help you to identify what is keeping you up at night and offer strategies to help you reclaim your nights and conquer your days.
