Wellness Lifestyle

Sleep is critical to our overall well-being. Poor sleep habits can negatively impact physical and mental health. Here are five tips to improve your sleep.

There is a strong relationship between sleep and mood. Poor sleep impacts one’s ability to regulate emotions. It can also leave you feeling grumpy, irritable, and stressed. In addition, it can negatively impact your cognitive abilities, such as difficulties with concentration, problem-solving, and decision making (CMHA, 2019). Adults should aim to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per day. In addition to the quantity of sleep, sleep quality is also essential to your well-being. According to the CDC (2017), “signs of poor sleep quality include not feeling rested even after getting enough sleep, repeatedly waking up during the night, and experiencing symptoms of sleep disorders (such as snoring or gasping for air).” Poor sleep is a risk factor for developing a mood disorder or mental health issues. With that being said, insomnia and hypersomnia are also symptoms of many mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. “Chronic sleep problems affect 50% to 80% of patients in a typical psychiatric practice, compared with 10% to 18% of adults in the general U.S. population”.