Writer: Kevin Miko Buac
Creatives: Krystle Mae Labio
Moderator: Richardson Mojica
Sleep deprivation has become a relevant concern in the modern world, from longer working hours, night shifts, and the use of gadgets late at night. Many adults sacrifice sleep to meet work deadlines or time to unwind, not aware of the consequences that come. While sleep deprivation for a few nights won’t do much harm, studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation can lead to both physical and mental health conditions ranging from hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, and anxiety, with the latter two often leading towards a vicious cycle wherein poor sleep aggravates these mental health conditions (1,2).
Sleep plays an important role in regulating mood and cognitive function, such as processing emotions and consolidating memories, helping us manage stress and make sound decisions. Sleep deprivation affects these processes, leading to mood swings, irritability, elevated stress responses, and impaired decision-making (3). In contrast, better sleep quality can positively impact mental health regardless of how severe existing mental health conditions are; thus, addressing sleep issues can benefit those with existing physical and mental health conditions (4).
Prioritizing sleep is essential to maintaining physical and mental health. Fostering good sleep habits involves following a consistent sleep schedule, limiting screen time before bed, and creating a calming bedtime routine; these steps can improve sleep quality. Sleep needs to be given the same amount of attention as nutrition in diet and exercise (3). Thus, by practicing good sleep hygiene, one can make meaningful steps towards a physically and mentally healthier lifestyle.
Session Questions:
- How do you think our lifestyle affects us in getting quality sleep?
- What is the biggest challenge you face when trying to get enough sleep?
- How do you balance getting enough sleep with other priorities?
References:
- Hanson, J. A., & Huecker, M. R. (2023). Sleep deprivation. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547676/
- Vybhavi, J., Jha, H., Kamboj, A. K., & Regalla, S. (2024). Systematic Review: The Impact of Poor Sleep on Health Outcomes. International Journal of Toxicological and Pharmacological Research, 14(9). https://impactfactor.org/PDF/IJTPR/14/IJTPR,Vol14,Issue9,Article5.pdf
- Ramar, K., Malhotra, R. K., Carden, K. A., Martin, J. L., Abbasi-Feinberg, F., Aurora, R. N., Kapur, V. K., Olson, E. J., Rosen, C. L., Rowley, J. A., Shelgikar, A. V., & Trotti, L. M. (2021). Sleep is essential to health: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 17(10), 2115–2119. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.9476
- Scott, A. J., Webb, T. L., James, M. M., Rowse, G., & Weich, S. (2021). Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 60, 101556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101556
