Importance of Sleep in our Daily Work Routine and How it Affects our Mental Health

Are you familiar with constant tiredness and irritation? It’s like, a rush of constant negative emotions is coming at you, where you’re not feeling like yourself at all. Has it ever occurred to you that it might be a sign you’re not getting enough sleep? Well, fret not, because we’ve got you! Thankfully, you’re not alone in this. As much as sleep is one of the most crucial things one can do to protect one’s mental health, it is also often the first thing one sacrifices as life gets busier. In this blog, we’ll understand the importance of sleep and the effects it has on our mental health.

Viewing Sleep Through the Perspective of Science

Not only do our bodies require sleep to be properly and fully functional, but our brains also require sleep to relax, recharge and remain healthy. All in all, if you’re not sleeping a good night’s sleep, your physical, as well as mental health, will gradually deteriorate. This is because while we’re sleeping and relaxing, our brains and bodies are staying up and working hard for us to repair and recharge. Below are some key benefits of sleep:

·        Sleep is helpful in strengthening memories, empowering our learning ability, and preserving new information.

·        Sleep promotes a balance of emotions and removes any chances of mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

·        Sleep is essential for our immune system and metabolism to stay functional. For overall improved physical health, sleep is mandatory.

Sleep Deprivation Actually Deprives You of a Healthy Mindset

Not sleeping enough impacts our mental health in a manner that is profound. To dive more into the impacts of sleep deprivation and understand the importance of sleeping better, keep reading below:

·        Lack of sleep can result in mood disorders and an imbalance of emotions, leading to depression, anxiety, overthinking, and laziness.

·        Sleep deprivation has an effect on our cognitive function. It can lead to poor concentration and decision-making, and also impair our ability to think clearly.

·        Lack of sleep results in a lack of a good immune system. It makes us vulnerable to illness and disease.

4 Tips for Better Sleep

You must be thinking “It is easily said than done”. Well, we can’t blame you. As our workload gets messier, so does our sleeping routine. To help you get through the difficulty of maintaining a healthy sleeping routine, we have listed below some tips for better sleep:

·        Set a schedule and adhere to it. Always, we repeat, always try to sleep and wake up at the same time every single day. Make sure to stick to your schedule on weekends, too, so as not to mess up your routine.

·        Creating an environment that is sleep-friendly is rather helpful. If you’ve achieved that, you’re past half the struggle. Set up a cool, dark, and quiet theme for your bedroom. Invest in comfortable mattresses and huggable pillows.

·        An hour before going to bed, make sure to avoid caffeine and electronics.

·        When all else fails, relaxation prevails. Practice deep breathing and meditation before sleeping for a calm mind to help you sleep.

Conclusion

To maintain our mental health, it is crucial that we maintain our sleep. To improve our physical health and fitness, memory consolidation, cognitive function, and overall well-being, we must prioritize our sleep and keep taking steps towards better sleep hygiene. So, next time when you’re prioritizing work over sleep, make sure to ask your body what it needs.