SMART THINKING

Along with vitamin-rich fruit and veg and exercise, good sleep is an indicator of better wellbeing.

Along with food and exercise, sleep is vital to your mental health and wellbeing.

Getting good-quality sleep, exercising and eating more raw fruits and vegetables is linked to better mental health and wellbeing in young adults, a recent study from the University of Otago has found.

The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, surveyed more than 1,100 young adults about their sleep, physical activity, diet and mental health. Lead author Shay-Ruby Wickham says the research team found sleep quality, rather than sleep quantity, was the strongest predictor of mental health and wellbeing. “This is surprising because sleep recommendations predominantly focus on quantity rather than quality,” she says. “While we did see that both too little sleep (less than eight hours) and too much sleep (more than 12 hours) were associated with higher depressive symptoms and lower wellbeing, sleep quality significantly outranked sleep quantity in predicting mental health and wellbeing. Along with quality sleep, exercising, and eating more raw fruits and vegetables were three behaviours that correlated with better mental health and wellbeing in young adults. Depressive symptoms were lowest for young adults who slept 9.7 hours per night, and feelings of wellbeing were highest for those who slept eight hours per night. Wellbeing was highest for young adults who ate 4.8 servings of raw vegetables and fruit a day. Those who ate fewer than two servings or more than eight servings, had lower feelings of wellbeing.”

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While there are many alternative remedies promising to replenish dull and tired skin, there is no substitute for a good night’s sleep. Some even say that routinely enjoying the right amount of quality sleep can turn back the clock. mindfood.com/benefits-beauty-sleep