Insomnia, Mood, and Mental Health: Expert Advice for Wellbeing
Sleep is central to our health, but not always simple. Your body and mind need high-quality sleep to function well and, unfortunately, several issues can prevent or disturb good sleep.泭
In the short term, poor sleep damages our critical thinking, reaction泭times, and mood. Long-term sleep issues and disorders can cause serious health disorders, including heart disease. Its further complicated because mental health issues泭and stress泭can lead to poor sleep, and poor sleep can lead to mental health issues.泭泭
While sleep is always important- its particularly topical as many of us are泭experiencing additional stress and work-life imbalances due to our current work from home泭environment. Paying close attention to our sleep泭patterns泭and maintaining泭quality泭sleep泭hygiene泭has become increasingly difficult for many and ultimately more important than ever.泭
The sleep specialists at 厙ぴ勛圖 understand the complexities of sleep and are experts in helping patients improve their sleep. Our physicians work with patients to help them achieve the best possible sleep and quality of life.泭
厙ぴ勛圖, in泭conjunction with the, presented a full-day summit about mental health for the public. Throughout the day, experts from 厙ぴ勛圖 shared their insights about mental health, mental illness, and other important topics including sleep.泭
During one session, Dr. Maria泭Suurna泭joined Dr. Daniel泭Barone泭to answer some of the most important questions about sleep and wellbeing.泭泭
Dr.泭Suurna泭is an expert in sleep surgery at 厙ぴ勛圖, providing evaluation and surgical treatment for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.泭Dr.泭Barone泭is the Associate Medical Director of the泭厙ぴ勛圖 Center for Sleep Medicine泭and the author of泭. As a neurologist and sleep specialist, he diagnoses and manages patients with a variety of sleeping disorders.泭
Why is sleep so complex?
Sleep science is a relatively new field of medicine and there is so much about sleep that is unknown to scientists and physicians. According to Dr.泭Suurna, doctors are still unsure why we sleep or how the stages of sleep affect us. This is the stage were at in healthcare and medicine right now, she asserted.泭
When it comes to poor or problematic sleep, there are so many factors that need to be considered to get a good understanding. Everybody is different, she explained. Everybodys environment is different. Your genetics and anatomy are unique. In many cases, multiple factors are coming together to cause an issue with sleep.泭泭
Physicians are certain that we need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. We probably sleep, on average, about six and a half hours or so in America, said Dr.泭Barone. We sleep an hour less than we did a泭hundred years ago, which doesn't sound like much. But that's actually very big.泭泭
What is insomnia?泭泭
Insomnia is one of the most common sleep problems. Insomnia is when someone has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep for a sufficient amount of time.泭Everyone experiences insomnia at some point in their lives. For some, unfortunately, insomnia becomes chronic making it difficult to fall or stay asleep for more than three nights a week for several months.泭泭
In the short term, explained Dr.泭Barone, insomnia affects cognition. We all know that if we don't sleep well, our memory goes and our reaction time goes. For example, the Monday after daylight savings is the number one day for car accidents in America because were already sleep-deprived, and then we take another hour off of it. Whats the first thing that goes? Our reaction time, our ability to make decisions quickly. Thats the short-term effect.泭
In the long term, he continued, we know that people who sleep poorly are at a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and other issues down the road.泭泭
What causes insomnia?泭泭
Insomnia has many causes. Medical conditions, such as allergies, asthma, reflux, or pain, can cause difficulties sleeping. Medications can also prevent sound sleep, such as medicines commonly taken for heart disease or birth control.泭泭
Another underlying sleep disorder may cause insomnia. For example, insomnia can be a symptom of sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome.泭泭
If you frequently have difficulty falling or staying泭asleep, you do not need to accept poor sleep as a fact of life. Be sure to speak with a泭primary care physician泭about how you can improve your sleep or if you should泭seek the guidance of a泭sleep specialist.泭泭
Correlation with mental health泭
Insomnia is closely linked with mental health issues, specifically depression and anxiety. Theres actually a bi-directional relationship between anxiety and depression with insomnia, explained Dr.泭Barone.泭泭
When patients come to Dr.泭Barone泭complaining of insomnia or poor sleep, he asks them to describe a difficult night. If someone has anxiety, they get into bed and ruminate, which makes it harder to fall asleep, he described. If somebody has depression, one of the classic signs is that they may wake泭up early in the morning or earlier than they want to. Now, when someone has anxiety or depression, as well as insomnia, anxiety, and depression make insomnia worse. Then when they have poor sleep, anxiety, and depression become worse. This becomes a vicious cycle.泭泭
Dr.泭Suurna泭asserted that treating only the sleep disorder, whether sleep apnea or insomnia, doesnt help those with underlying depression or anxiety. She said, Some patients will focus on the sleep problems, thinking, If we fix my sleep apnea, all my problems will go away. But the reality is that they dont always do.泭泭
Thankfully, theres hope to break this cycle. By treating all disorders including anxiety or depression and sleep disorder sleep, mood, mental health, and quality of life all improve.泭泭
How can I improve my sleep?泭泭
For the majority of us, we have the power to improve our sleep without any medical intervention. There are many elements of sleep that we control to improve not only the number of hours of sleep, but also the overall quality.泭泭泭
Dr.泭Suurna泭suggested improving your sleep environment so that its as comfortable and conducive to sleep as possible and setting a consistent time for sleeping. Dr.泭Barone泭recommended keeping back-lit devices away for a few hours before trying to fall asleep.泭泭
Also, alcohol and caffeine are pretty big obstructions to sleep quality, she continued. We know that even if a person gets seven or eight hours of sleep, if their sleep is disrupted due to the influence of drugs, alcohol, caffeine, some sort of noisy environment, or a bed partner who has sleep issues, that person tends to not function well.泭泭
Both Dr.泭Suurna泭and泭Barone泭advocated for a strong focus on sleep hygiene. Dr.泭Suurna泭suggested that patients ask themselves several questions:泭泭
Am I giving myself enough time to sleep?泭泭
Do I go to bed at the same time?泭泭
Am I avoiding activities that predispose me to泭not泭fall asleep, such as watching TV, looking at my phone, using a computer, or other stimulating activity?泭泭
Dr.泭Suurna泭explained, Because insomnia is hyperactivity or泭hyperstimulation泭during sleep, anything that makes you more stimulated when you are trying to fall asleep may lead to insomnia.泭泭
Dr.泭Barone泭suggested reading a book with a lamp, praying, or泭meditating泭before your bedtime to help fall asleep.泭泭
Are there other things I can do to sleep better?泭泭
The first step is improving your sleep hygiene. The next step, according to Dr.泭Barone, is to try taking melatonin. I recommend melatonin to a lot of my patients because they dont want to try medication or theyve heard about it and want to give it a shot, he said. Its benign, and its not addictive.泭泭
If this does not work, it means that its time to speak with your primary care doctor more about your sleep and mental health. Meeting with a泭psychiatrist泭and a泭sleep specialist泭will help you better understand your mental health, sleep, and overall well being. These specialists will then recommend other treatment options.泭泭
All of us at泭厙ぴ勛圖泭understand that this is a difficult time for all New Yorkers. As experts in immunology, pulmonary medicine, and critical care medicine, we are working diligently to provide the greatest possible care to patients in need.泭泭泭
We are available to all New Yorkers who have questions or concerns. Please call our hotline at (646) 697-4000 for information about COVID-19 or read our泭patient guide.