Never mind the quantity of your sleep – it’s the quality that matters
We all know a lack of sleep can leave us feeling groggy and irritable. But it can also have a severe impact on our physical and mental wellbeing, as reporter George Cook explains.
IN the modern world, it appears many of us aren’t getting enough sleep. Whether we’re tweeting away until the early hours or bingeing on the latest TV series, it seems we want to do anything but lay down and get some rest.
And with infamous stories of celebrities and politicians surviving off only a few hours a night, there are many societal pressures to appear strong and hard-working.
However, the consequences of not getting enough sleep can be extremely serious. It can affect both our mental and physical health and recent studies and personal experiences are indicative of the detrimental impact staying awake too long can really have.
Yet many of us are unaware of how significant the problems caused by sleep deprivation can be and how much sleep we should actually be getting.
Sleep problems are widespread across British society.
According to the Great British Bedtime Report, only a quarter of British adults now say they sleep very well, with many being kept awake because of stress.
In Wales, only 19% of people say they sleep very well most nights in comparison to 29% in London.
Simon Jones, head of policy and influencing at Mind Cymru, said: “We have long known that there is a link between sleep and mental health, though it’s very difficult to establish a causal relationship.”
But what are the impacts on our minds and bodies?
Researchers at Cardiff University have been studying sleep and the impact of sleep deprivation in their state-of-the-art sleep labs in the Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC).
Penny Lewis, a professor in psychology at Cardiff University, has researched how sleep affects the memory and cognitive brain function. She says that it’s “not just the quantity of sleep but the quality of sleep that’s important.”
According to Joy Richards, a sleep expert at happybeds.co.uk: “The amount of sleep we should be getting depends on age, but we should be aiming for eight hours a night.”
Rather astonishingly, 1% of those questioned in the Great British Bedtime Report said they slept for more than nine hours a night.
Experts say that sleeping this much can also affect the brain and have a detrimental impact on our health.
Prof Lewis said: “Sleep disruption can be an early sign of mental health issues, but what we are also seeing is that it’s a kind of chicken and egg situation . . . sleep disruption causing mental health issues, but also vice-versa.”
However, not everyone should be worried if their sleep patterns do change.
Prof Lewis added: “Sleep patterns change with age . . . we are seeing that adolescents need more sleep, it then normalises into adulthood and then as you get older sleep reduces and it becomes more broken.”
Sleep becomes more broken when we get less deep sleep, which is also referred to as “slow-wave sleep”.
The average age for this to happen varies depending on gender, with men’s deep sleep changing when they are 60, and at 70 years old for women.
This reduction in sleep and increased broken sleep is, according to Ms Lewis, a sign of “mental decline.”
When your sleep is more forcibly disrupted it can have more serious consequences for your health.
Shift work and night work have different impacts depending on your natural sleep pattern, your circadian rhythm.
Shift work, if you are particularly badly affected, can lead to mental health problems, heart disease and other physical and mental issues.
Professor Lewis said: “It has the potential to be really damaging.”
However, it should be noted that you can’t actually die from a lack of sleep.
Joy Richards, from Happy Beds, said: “Whilst you can’t die from a lack of sleep, it can increase your risk of developing potentially life-threatening disorders which could reduce your life expectancy.”
There are also profound impacts on people’s personal lives if they have trouble sleeping. One group who are increasingly likely to pull an allnighter are students.
With the pressure to complete assignments among a numerous other activities, they may find that they are having to stay awake for 24 hours or more in order to complete work.
This has had an impact on their mental health. One stated that they felt “depressed when they’re more tired” and also “feel more anxious.”
Recent research has suggested that having insomnia doubles your chances of depression, but this can be treated and improved through courses of cognitive behavioural therapy.
At Cardiff University, between 2011 and 2016 the number of people using the mental health services doubled.
It is unclear how much of this was as a result of a lack of sleep, but, as the researchers have demonstrated, there is a link between the two that should not be underestimated.
And with the number of students staying up throughout the night, it would not be surprising if a correlation existed.
However, some students say they work better under pressure, when the work is left to the very last minute.
Consequently, Prof Lewis said: “It’s often hard to change your sleeping habits because you’re so exhausted and you just can’t be bothered.”
Professionals say that we can improve our sleep by doing a number of things.
Professor Lewis added: “Making your room dark and cool can really help, and the ideal temperature would be between 15 and 17 degrees.”
Joy Richards also said: “We should not consume certain foods like cheese, coffee and alcohol before bed.
“Whereas foods like milk, which contains amino acid, can help improve sleep.”
Mind Cymru has put together a useful guide on how to improve sleep that also includes things like giving yourself some technologyfree time and keeping a sleep diary.
But if you still are struggling it’s important that you seek help and advice.
Sleep problems can have a really significant impact on our mental and physical health and it can do more harm if we remain silent with our experiences.
Simon Jones said: “It’s worth visiting your GP if you’re experiencing problems with your mental health, or if you are struggling to sleep.
“We know that speaking to health professionals about mental health can be daunting and difficult, which is why we’ve put together a guide, ‘Find the Words,’ to help you prepare for your appointment with your GP or practice nurse.”