The Impact of Sleep on Our Mental Health

This post is in collaboration with TEMPUR® but all thoughts are my own

A good night’s sleep is absolutely vital. We all need it but so many of us struggle to get it.

If you don’t get enough sleep, or your sleep is of a low quality, you may find that your mood and concentration start to suffer. I find that energy levels and positivity really start to decrease after a short night’s sleep. I also find I get stressed so much more. The more sleep and better quality of it I get, the better I feel!

TEMPUR® has conducted its first ever Mental Health Survey in the UK, in association with Mental Health Awareness Week (13-19 May 2019). The aim of the survey was to find out what effects quality of sleep has on mental health and well being. The results were interesting, and I wanted to share some of them that stood out to me and talk about what I do to ensure I get a good quality of sleep.

Brits get on average 6 hours and 42 minutes of sleep each night

Personally I function my best on 8 hours sleep. I have found that the amount of sleep I get is directly related to how alert and productive I am during the day. To try to stay on track, when possible I try to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday. I find this not only helps me drop off easier, but I also feel much less groggy when I wake up.

Seven in ten Brits consider a new mattress to be an investment to their physical and mental health

A good high-quality mattress can really improve the quality of our sleep. It’s one of the first things I invested in when I moved into my own place. Not only is it easier to fall asleep when you’re comfortable, a good mattress can also prevent aches and pains we sometimes wake up with by holding the spine in a straight line throughout the night.

18% say poor quality sleep affects their diet

I personally find my diet to be negatively impacted when I am not getting enough sleep. I am so much more likely to reach for sugary snacks to keep me going. I also am much less motivated to go to the gym and workout.

What keeps us awake at night? Stress (27%) Anxiety (26%) Family worries (20%) Money worries (19%) Work stress (15%) Health concerns (15%) Depression (15%)

We all know that feeling when we go to bed and our mind immediately starts racing! It can be so frustrating and then we start to worry about the fact that we can’t seem to sleep. I’ve got into the habit of taking time each day to write a to do list with all the tasks left over from that day or new ones I need to do. This has been incredibly helpful for me and means I have less on my mind when I go to bed. I have also found using a CBD oil to be beneficial for reducing anxiety and for helping me to relax before I go to sleep. It’s can take a bit of time to find a CBD product and dosage that work for you, you learn more in this article about how much CBD you should take.

Take a look at this article to find out the more about the best CBD oils.

What do we do before bed? Watch TV (58%) Read books/magazines (32%) Check emails/messages (27%) Use social media (24%) Play games on phone/tablet (15%) Listen to music (15%) Consume alcohol (8%) Consume caffeine (6%)

I always find my sleep is impacted when I scroll through my phone before bed or do something that requires a lot of brain power like responding to emails. Personally I prefer to read or watch Netflix until I get drowsy. I am very sensitive to caffeine so make sure I don’t have any past 3pm!

Sleep is definitely something I prioritise in my life. I always do my best to ensure that I get the quality of sleep necessary for me to perform at my highest level. I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you find that your quality of sleep impacts your mental health?

Follow me on Social Media to stay updated ❤

Love Hayley x