Is There A Connection Between Sleep & Mental Health?

A good night’s sleep is more than just feeling refreshed and ready for work in the morning. Proper sleep contributes to our overall day-to-day health and provides many major benefits to the body such as tissue and muscle repair, muscle growth and development, reinforcement of memory, improvement of our emotional state, and production of essential hormones necessary for the body. In fact, sleep is so important that it is often said an average person spends about one-third of their life sleeping!

Sufficient sleep also plays an important role in maintaining a healthy mind. A well-slept person is mentally more productive in the workplace, he/she will generally be more attentive throughout the day, and more importantly, having a rested mind will make a huge difference with regards to a person’s family and social relationships. Let’s face it, we don’t want to be groggy and moody when we interact with our family and friends.

Now, you may be wondering what exactly constitute a good night’s sleep? Even though everyone is different and some people may require more sleep than others, it is generally recommended for young adults and middle-aged individuals to get about seven to nine hours of sleep per day. For people under the age of seventeen and preteens, the hours required for them to function to the best of their ability is usually more – about ten to twelve hours per day.

Unfortunately, millions of people fail to realize that an improper sleep pattern and lack of sleep can cause major problems to a person’s mental health. Sleep experts have linked poor sleeping habits to development of mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. In fact, lack of sleep can trigger certain conditions and even prevent appropriate treatments from taking effect. In some cases, insufficient sleep can negatively impact a person who is already suffering from depression and may even lead to thoughts of suicide.

Without a doubt, there is a significant connection between sleep and mental health. Anyone suffering from lack of sleep for a prolonged period of time should consult a sleep expert before it starts to take a toll on their health. If you are unsure of the cause of your mental illness or are seeking treatment, call to meet with their practitioners at Ronald R. Fieve MD, PC, Fieve Depression Center in Manhattan for the proper diagnosis and treatment.

Seeking professional help is the best way to properly diagnose and treatment mental illnesses. If you are suffering from a mental illness and are seeking professional help, contact Dr. Ronald Fieve in his Manhattan office. The professionals at the Fieve Depression Center will listen to you and discuss your options. We also offer Telemedicine through phone call, Skype and more. Please call (212) 249-1600 to schedule your private consultation.