Sleep and Mental Health
There's a close relationship between sleep and mental health. Living with a mental health problem can affect how well you sleep, and poor sleep can have a negative impact on your mental health.
There are many issues a student can have when it comes to getting a good night's rest. Some of these may be familiar to you:
- Hard to fall asleep, stay asleep or wake up earlier than you'd like to (also known as insomnia)
- Have problems that disturb your sleep, such as panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares or psychosis
- Find it hard to wake up or get out of bed
- Often feel tired or sleepy – this could be because you're not sleeping enough, not getting good quality sleep or because of health problems
- Sleep a lot – which could include sleeping at times when you want, or need, to be awake.
Take a look at the following behaviors or situations that affect sleep, and make note
of which ones you may be experiencing:
- stresses or worries – for example, issues with money, housing or work
- problems with where you sleep – for example, if you sleep somewhere uncomfortable or you're easily disturbed
- health conditions relating to sleep, also known as sleep disorders
- being a parent or carer
- taking medication, including starting or coming off medication
- recreational drugs and alcohol
- working at night or being a shift worker
- current or past trauma
Resources For Better Sleep
Making better sleep a priority is the first step in changing the way you rest. Doing
the same things will only yield the same result. Check out some of these resources
to help create a better sleep routine.
Videos:
Sleep is your superpower | Matt Walker