I wish I could be more creative with my title but guess what? I’m sick. Guess why? I don’t sleep enough… at all. And it’s finally caught up to me!
In college, it’s very easy to stay up until the early hours of the morning. So easy, in fact, I can no longer fall asleep before 2 am. But getting the right amount of sleep doesn’t just make you incredibly grouchy. It also causes detrimental effects on your mental and physical health.
Mental Health: Sleep problems can be symptoms of depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. “But neuroimaging and neurochemistry studies suggest that a good night’s sleep helps foster both mental and emotional resilience, while chronic sleep disruptions set the stage for negative thinking and emotional vulnerability,” states the Harvard Health Publications. While there is no definite proof for sure just yet that sleep contributes negatively towards your mental health, I’d say it’s a safe bet to think that negative thinking and emotional
vulnerability aren’t exactly beneficial to your mental health.
Physical Health: Simply put, The Better Sleep Council says, “While weary, overextended Americans are turning to “quick fixes” like caffeine and performance-enhancing supplements, which claim to improve everything from their daily workout to their sex lives, they are losing sight of what experts say is essential to improved performance: a good night’s sleep.” Some studies even show that sleep deprivation can be linked to the development of diseases like obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Chronic sleep loss has been shown to create an impaired immune system.
Tips on how to sleep better: Going to sleep at the same time each night. Exercising daily, tire yourself out naturally! Wind down, read a book, tryyyyyy not to be on your cell phone because the brightness convinces your eyes that it is still time to be awake.
Next time you go to nap…
Try to power through so that you’ll be more tired EARLIER at night (maybe even BEFORE MIDNIGHT! :O )
On that note, I better get some sleep. Goodnight 🙂
Research Links:
Sleep and Mental Health (Harvard)