What Are the Effects of Sleep on Your Risk of Developing Mental Health Disorders?
Sleep is something we all need, but many people don’t realize just how much it affects our minds and emotions. When you don’t get enough sleep, or when your sleep is poor quality, it can make you feel more stressed, anxious, or even sad. On the other hand, getting good rest helps keep your mood steady and your mind sharp.
If you regularly miss out on sleep—maybe because of work, stress, or just bad habits—your brain doesn’t work as well as it should. You might notice that it’s harder to pay attention to things or remember details. Your reactions slow down and making decisions becomes tougher[1][4]. Over time, this lack of sleep can actually increase your risk for mental health problems like anxiety and depression[1][2].
One reason why sleep is so important for mental health is that while you are asleep—especially during a stage called REM sleep—your brain sorts through emotions from the day. This process helps soften negative feelings and boost positive ones. Without enough REM sleep, negative emotions can pile up and feel overwhelming[1].
Another big factor is how lack of sleep affects stress hormones in your body. When you don’t get enough rest, levels of cortisol (the main stress hormone) stay high for longer periods than they should. This makes everyday stresses feel bigger than they really are and increases the chances that anxiety or depression will develop[1][4].
Interestingly, not only does poor sleep raise the risk of new mental health issues; if someone already has anxiety or depression, bad sleep can make those problems worse[2]. It creates a cycle: feeling anxious makes it hard to fall asleep; not sleeping well makes anxiety worse.
It isn’t just too little sleep that causes trouble—sleeping too much (usually nine hours or more per night) has also been linked with poorer thinking skills and memory problems in some people with depression[3][5]. So both extremes seem harmful.
In summary: getting regular good-quality rest keeps your mind balanced by helping process emotions properly each night while keeping stress hormones under control; missing out on this vital recovery time raises risks for developing serious mood disorders like anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder over time.[1][2][4]
