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.听
In the short term, poor sleep damages our critical thinking, reaction听times, and mood. Long-term sleep issues and disorders can cause serious health disorders, including heart disease. It鈥檚 further complicated because mental health issues听and stress听can lead to poor sleep, and poor sleep can lead to mental health issues.听听
While sleep is always important- it鈥檚 particularly topical as many of us are听experiencing additional stress and work-life imbalances due to our current work from home听environment. Paying close attention to our sleep听patterns听and maintaining听quality听鈥sleep听hygiene鈥澨has become increasingly difficult for many 鈥 and ultimately more important than ever.听
The sleep specialists at 麻豆传媒高清版 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.听
麻豆传媒高清版, in听conjunction with the, presented a full-day summit about mental health for the public. Throughout the day, experts from 麻豆传媒高清版 shared their insights about mental health, mental illness, and other important topics 鈥 including sleep.听
During one session, Dr. Maria听Suurna听joined Dr. Daniel听Barone听to answer some of the most important questions about sleep and wellbeing.听听
Dr.听Suurna听is an expert in sleep surgery at 麻豆传媒高清版, providing evaluation and surgical treatment for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.听Dr.听Barone听is the Associate Medical Director of the听麻豆传媒高清版 Center for Sleep Medicine听and the author of听. As a neurologist and sleep specialist, he diagnoses and manages patients with a variety of sleeping disorders.听
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.听Suurna, doctors are still unsure why we sleep or how the stages of sleep affect us. 鈥淭his is the stage we鈥檙e at in healthcare and medicine right now,鈥 she asserted.听
When it comes to poor or problematic sleep, there are so many factors that need to be considered to get a good understanding. 鈥淓verybody is different,鈥 she explained. 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 environment is different. Your genetics and anatomy are unique. In many cases, multiple factors are coming together to cause an issue with sleep.鈥澨听
Physicians are certain that we need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. 鈥淲e probably sleep, on average, about six and a half hours or so in America,鈥 said Dr.听Barone. 鈥淲e sleep an hour less than we did a听hundred years ago, which doesn't sound like much. But that's actually very big.鈥澨听
What is insomnia?听听
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.听Everyone experiences insomnia at some point in their lives. For some, unfortunately, insomnia becomes chronic 鈥 making it difficult to fall or stay asleep for more than three nights a week for several months.听听
In the short term, explained Dr.听Barone, insomnia 鈥渁ffects 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 we鈥檙e already sleep-deprived, and then we take another hour off of it. What鈥檚 the first thing that goes? Our reaction time, our ability to make decisions quickly. That鈥檚 the short-term effect.鈥听
鈥淚n the long term,鈥 he continued, 鈥渨e know that people who sleep poorly are at a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and other issues down the road.鈥澨听
What causes insomnia?听听
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.听听
Another underlying sleep disorder may cause insomnia. For example, insomnia can be a symptom of sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome.听听
If you frequently have difficulty falling or staying听asleep, you do not need to accept poor sleep as a fact of life. Be sure to speak with a听primary care physician听about how you can improve your sleep or if you should听seek the guidance of a听sleep specialist.听听
Correlation with mental health听
Insomnia is closely linked with mental health issues, specifically depression and anxiety. 鈥淭here鈥檚 actually a bi-directional relationship between anxiety and depression with insomnia,鈥 explained Dr.听Barone.听听
When patients come to Dr.听Barone听complaining of insomnia or poor sleep, he asks them to describe a difficult night. 鈥淚f someone has anxiety, they get into bed and ruminate, which makes it harder to fall asleep,鈥 he described. 鈥淚f somebody has depression, one of the classic signs is that they may wake听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.鈥澨听
Dr.听Suurna听asserted that treating only the sleep disorder, whether sleep apnea or insomnia, doesn鈥檛 help those with underlying depression or anxiety. She said, 鈥淪ome patients will focus on the sleep problems, thinking, 鈥業f we fix my sleep apnea, all my problems will go away.鈥 But the reality is that they don鈥檛 always do.鈥澨听
Thankfully, there鈥檚 hope to break this cycle. By treating all disorders 鈥 including anxiety or depression and sleep disorder 鈥 sleep, mood, mental health, and quality of life all improve.听听
How can I improve my sleep?听听
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.听听听
Dr.听Suurna听suggested improving your sleep environment so that it鈥檚 as comfortable and conducive to sleep as possible and setting a consistent time for sleeping. Dr.听Barone听recommended keeping back-lit devices away for a few hours before trying to fall asleep.听听
鈥淎lso, alcohol and caffeine are pretty big obstructions to sleep quality,鈥 she continued. 鈥淲e 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.鈥澨听
Both Dr.听Suurna听and听Barone听advocated for a strong focus on sleep hygiene. Dr.听Suurna听suggested that patients ask themselves several questions:听听
Am I giving myself enough time to sleep?听听
Do I go to bed at the same time?听听
Am I avoiding activities that predispose me to听not听fall asleep, such as watching TV, looking at my phone, using a computer, or other stimulating activity?听听
Dr.听Suurna听explained, 鈥淏ecause insomnia is hyperactivity or听hyperstimulation听during sleep, anything that makes you more stimulated when you are trying to fall asleep may lead to insomnia.鈥澨听
Dr.听Barone听suggested reading a book with a lamp, praying, or听meditating听before your bedtime to help fall asleep.听听
Are there other things I can do to sleep better?听听
The first step is improving your sleep hygiene. The next step, according to Dr.听Barone, is to try taking melatonin. 鈥淚 recommend melatonin to a lot of my patients because they don鈥檛 want to try medication or they鈥檝e heard about it and want to give it a shot,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 benign, and it鈥檚 not addictive.鈥澨听
If this does not work, it means that it鈥檚 time to speak with your primary care doctor more about your sleep and mental health. Meeting with a听psychiatrist听and a听sleep specialist听will help you better understand your mental health, sleep, and overall well being. These specialists will then recommend other treatment options.听听
All of us at听麻豆传媒高清版听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.听听听
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听patient guide.