Sleep Affects Your Mood More Than You Think
Do you also feel like you need more than a day to do all your stuff and sacrifice your sleep to study, work, or watch one more episode of the new immersive tv show? In this case, you probably noticed that you were more cranky and short-tempered the next day. The good news is that there is a scientific story behind it, and I know what exactly you should do to avoid it!
You’ve probably heard many times how important sleep is for your physical and mental well-being. But have you ever thought that sleep deprivation might be the exact reason for what you called a bad day? Sleep and mood are closely related. According to many studies, lack of sleep causes vulnerability to stress, and brings out negative emotions and experiences. One study suggests that when sleep was restricted to only 4.5 hours a night for one week, participants experienced more stress, sadness, anger, and mental exhaustion. The good news is that these effects were temporary and resolved when they went back to their normal sleep schedule. However, if you are consistently getting a lack of sleep, then you might be more prone to long-term negative mood effects.
I can hear the question in your head. So how much sleep do we need? It depends on various factors like age, physical activity, and health conditions. The National Sleep Foundation suggests getting between 7 – 9 hours of sleep every night for healthy adults. Younger individuals even do need more.
So what happens if you don’t get the recommended amount of sleep? Keep reading to discover the effects of sleep deficiency on your mood the next day!
10 Ways That Sleep Deprivation Can Affect Your Mood
– With Possible Underlying Neural Mechanisms
- Increased irritability. If you don’t get enough sleep, this might increase your irritability and leave you more frustrated and annoyed. It may be due to decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for regulating emotions and behavior.
- Decreased motivation. If you restrict your sleep, then you might realize that it is harder to concentrate and find the energy to complete your tasks. It might be due to a decrease in the activity of the brain’s reward pathways, such as the basal ganglia and nucleus accumbens.
- Lack of happiness. It is a high possibility to experience a decrease in your happiness levels and positive mood after a sleepless night. It might have many correlates, but one of the most important ones is a decrease in the brain’s pleasure and reward centers, such as the nucleus accumbens.
- Increased anxiety: It is possible to wake up to an anxious day with a rapid heart rate if you skip your goodnight’s sleep. Amygdala is known to be involved in processing emotions such as fear and anxiety, so the negative effects of sleep deprivation on the amygdala’s functions might contribute to this symptom.
- Vulnerability to stress. It might be more difficult to handle stressful situations if you do not get enough sleep, which leads to increased stress levels. It might be due to impaired hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functions, which primarily regulate the body’s stress response.
- Decreased pleasure. Sleep deprivation might reduce the brain’s ability to experience pleasure and reward, leading to decreased enjoyment of activities. The brain’s reward pathways are mainly responsible for that impairment.
- Increased mood swings. You may experience greater mood swings and fluctuations in your emotions when you are sleep-deprived. Amygdala and the prefrontal cortex can play an important role in these mood swings.
- Impaired emotional regulation. The next day after you sacrifice your sleep, you might have a hard time managing negative emotions like anger and sadness. It is also due to the impairment in the prefrontal cortex.
- Increased negative thinking. You might find yourself lost in your negative thoughts after a sleepless night. It also decreases your ability to think positively and increases rumination. Decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex and increased activity in the amygdala can contribute to increased negative thinking and rumination.
- Decreased resilience. A lack of sleep might impair your resilience in front of challenging situations. Changes in the activity of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus can impair the ability to regulate emotions and adapt to stress.
How To Prevent Sleep Deprivation And Boost Your Mood
- Follow a consistent sleep schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. It might sound difficult at first, but this is the best way to help your body regulate its circadian rhythm, and you might be surprised to see how quickly your body will adapt to it.
- Create a sleep-friendly environment. First, make sure that the environment is cold because it facilitates deep sleep by lowering the body temperature. Second, say goodbye to light for a while and try to make the room darker as much as possible. Try a sleeping mask if you can’t prevent the light. Darkness is known to stimulate the production of melatonin, a hormone that controls sleep patterns and promotes sleep. Finally, make sure that you are in a quiet environment to avoid any possible distractions.
- Limit the screen time. The blue light emitted by electronic devices can suppress melatonin secretion and interfere with sleep. Try to limit your exposure to screens before bedtime. However, if it is not possible or convenient, then activate the blue light filter on your electronic device. Many of them have this feature, and it only takes a couple of seconds to arrange it. A couple of seconds that leads to hours of good mood? Well, I would take it!
- Do regular exercise. Regular physical activity can help improve the quality of your sleep. You may realize that it is easier to fall asleep when you have a physically active day. No doubt that this will increase feelings of wellness.
- Avoid caffeine. When you consume caffeine, there is no doubt that it can increase your energy and decrease your sleepiness. However, its regenerative effects are only temporary and eventually leave you with devastating fatigue. Many people take a difficult time falling asleep after caffeine consumption as it can interfere with sleep. In order to avoid caffeine’s disruptive effects on sleep, you should stop consuming it at least 6 hours before your bedtime. You might think that you can easily fall asleep even though you drink caffeine closer to bedtime, so it doesn’t affect you negatively. It is simply not true! It might affect rapid eye movement (REM) sleep promotion which is an important predictor of sleep quality. So if you are going to bed at 11 p.m., you should drink your last coffee at 5 p.m. for a restorative sleep.
- Avoid alcohol. Have you ever realized that you feel sleepy after a couple of drinks and fall asleep more quickly? Don’t let it get to you! Its sedative effects at the beginning quickly wear away, and you might find yourself awake in the middle of the night alone with your own thoughts. Thus, keep in mind that alcohol is a real obstacle to quality sleep.
- Relax before bedtime. Engage in relaxing activities, such as reading, meditation, yoga, or taking a warm bath, before bed. It will help you get rid of your negative thoughts and go to bed with a clear mind.
- Avoid naps: Napping during the day can interfere with nighttime sleep, so try to avoid napping or limit napping to less than 30 minutes.
- Have a consistent bedtime routine. It could be an easy routine that involves brushing your teeth, 5 minutes of stretching, etc. The important thing is to do the same activities every night so that your brain knows when it is time to sleep. These habits start to become sleep inducers for the brain, leading to falling asleep quickly.
- Stop eating before bed. Eating closer to bedtime might cause slower metabolism, and digestive problems, leading to poor sleep quality. It is suggested that you should stop eating three hours before bed to avoid any possible side effects.
In conclusion, A lifestyle that compromises your sleep might not be the wisest thing to do, given the negative effects on your mood. It seems quite possible that you are going into a cycle where sleep deprivation causes negative mood symptoms like elevated stress levels, decreased resilience, and increased mood swings, and these symptoms cause sleep troubles. The good news is that you can break this cycle by taking steps to manage the effects of sleep deprivation on your mood. Prioritizing your sleep is the key step, and I believe you have already taken it by reading this far.
Let’s be realistic, life is full of surprises, and you never know what the night will bring. Let’s imagine that you are attending a big celebration at night, and you can’t sleep the way you have planned. It is definitely okay! I am not here to tell you that you must have a perfect sleeping pattern every night. If you make these healthy sleeping habits as a part of your life, then it’s okay to sacrifice your sleep once in a while.
I wish you a good night’s sleep and a happy morning!
Elif
Featured Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash
Hi Elif,
This content is very catchy and helpful for me as a person dealing with sleep issues sometimes. Thank you for this information and also i wish you a goodnight.
Hi Eylem,
I am glad to hear that this was helpful :))
I didn’t know sleep had such a significant impact on my life. Many things that affect me in my daily life could be due to my sleep time. I will try your suggestions and share with you what has changed in my life. Thank you!
Hi! I hope you can benefit from some of the tips. Looking forward to hearing about your experiences! :))
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