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The Impact of Poor Sleep on Your Well-Being
The benefits of good sleep are difficult to over-emphasise. Perhaps it's your busy life, or maybe it's your desire to always be connected. Maybe you have kids that keep you up. Or get you up. Repeatedly. What? Can't find teddy? Need a sheet pulled over? Wondering what green tastes like?!
Ahem. Here we discuss some of the impacts of poor sleep. Rest assured (pun entirely intended), we can help. In fact, for most people, CBT is just about the best tool available to address poor sleep. And it's not THAT hard to apply...
Emotional Regulation and Mood
Poor sleep can make it harder to regulate your emotions. You might find yourself feeling more irritable, anxious, or prone to mood swings. This happens because sleep influences the way our brain processes emotions, at a very deep level. For your brain to do its job, it needs to get the right kind of sleep.
Stress & Anxiety
Lack of sleep often exacerbates feelings of stress and anxiety. It creates a cycle where anxiety disrupts sleep, and sleep deprivation in turn increases anxiety.
Cognitive Functions
Your ability to think, concentrate, and make decisions is almost certainly impaired by insufficient sleep. You may notice difficulty in focusing, memory problems, or a decrease in your problem-solving skills.
Physical Health
Poor sleep is linked to a higher risk of conditions like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. It can also weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to infections.
Mental Health Disorders
Not surprisingly, sleep disturbances are often associated with various mental health disorders.
In some cases, addressing sleep issues can be a key component of managing these conditions.
Behavioural Changes
Poor sleep may contribute to decreased motivation, withdrawal from social interactions, or increased reliance on substances like caffeine or alcohol to manage your energy levels.
Treatment for Poor Sleep
The causes of poor sleep differ from person to person. So do the factors that maintain your poor sleep, and the effects of poor sleep on you.
There is probably some benefit from immediately looking at on-line 'Sleep Hygiene' resources to see if you can make any change by yourself.
If you have challenges, however, our Clinical Psychologists are very experienced in applying a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy framework to make personalised plans for your specific needs.
We can help you with sleep.