There has been much research into insomnia and its links to mental health. Proper sleep is shown to have many positive, beneficial health benefits – both for the body and mind. A lack of sleep can stop these positive effects occurring and cases of insomnia have posed the question: does insomnia cause mental health problems? Sometimes to start sleeping better you just need to find the best mattress.
Here we go over insomnia and its links to mental health. If you are suffering from insomnia, seek out the help of a medical professional to help you get your sleep back to normal.
Insomnia
Insomnia is the most known and one of the most common sleep disorders. A person will get diagnosed with insomnia when they are unable to gain the amount of sleep necessary to function normally in the daytime. This can be through difficulty in staying asleep or difficulty in falling asleep.
The average amounts of sleep that people require are:
Adults – 7 to 9 hours
Children – 9 to 13 hours
Toddlers and babies – 12 to 17 hours
This is not exact and will differ for every person. If you are constantly tired throughout the day this is the main sign of insomnia.
Insomnia in the short-term is often linked to life events that cause great stress. This is the most common form of insomnia. Insomnia that persists on the long-term is harder to diagnose and should be evaluated by medical professionals.
Links to mental health
A large majority of insomnia cases are in conjunction with mental illnesses such as depression, stress, and anxiety. The characteristics of insomnia and its onset can often give insight into the mental illness. For example, low energy with early morning wakefulness may indicate depression. Poor sleep has also been shown to exacerbate mental health conditions. Insufficient sleep can increase symptoms of mental health disorders as well as prevent the treatment and recovery from such mental health issues.
Dealing with insomnia
Although sleeping pills are available for sufferers of insomnia, these do not cure the disorder and come with their own side effects. The best way of going about treating insomnia is to implement good sleeping regimes whilst focusing on other related issues that often come with insomnia. To maintain a good sleeping regime, uphold a sleeping schedule and maintain your sleeping environment in the perfect condition. This can be sound, temperature and feel. It should also be noted that eating, drinking, smoking and time of exercise can affect sleep, so they should be dealt with appropriately. Relaxation techniques are a good option for insomnia sufferers, using mindfulness to take away the anxiety and stress surrounding sleep for the individual.
Sufferers of insomnia can have many debilitating symptoms that come with the condition. This includes mental health issues which can appear or become aggravated. Insomnia can begin to be treated through a strict sleeping regime and relaxation techniques. Seek out a medical professional for advice if you feel you may be suffering from insomnia or any mental health condition.
