The Importance of Good Sleep
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (or even a good clinical psychologist) to explain the value of good, restorative sleep. The experience of a good night’s sleep is experiential and undeniable. Even though
The Importance of Good Sleep
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (or even a good clinical psychologist) to explain the value of good, restorative sleep. The experience of a good night’s sleep is experiential and undeniable. Even though this knowledge is commonplace, in our productivity-based culture, it’s estimated that between fifty and seventy million US adults are not getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. This deficiency results in compromised immune system function, decreased cardiovascular output, and suboptimal brain capacity.
How Much Sleep Do I Need?
Sleep requirements supported by good, peer-reviewed studies have grown over the past two decades. While previously estimated to be between 8.5 hours to 9.5 hours for healthy adults, the current statistics show that 8 to 10 hours is optimal. Younger adults, defined as being between 18 and 25 years of age, need slightly less at 7 to 9 hours. Older adults typically require 7 to 8 hours, however, many seniors 65 years and above report getting much less.
Relationship between Sleep Quality/Quantity and Depression & Anxiety
The complex relationship between sleep quality, quantity, and mood has been explored by researchers as far back as the 1960s. Individuals suffering from insomnia, defined as an inability to fall or stay asleep, statistically have higher incidences of depression and anxiety than those with normal sleep patterns. In addition, insomniacs are seventeen times more likely to suffer from an anxiety disorder and ten times as likely to have received a Major Depressive Disorder diagnosis in their lifetime.
Studies on Sleep
A meta-analysis of clinical research, using a wide-range of methods and population samples, concluded recently that somewhere between 65% to 90% of adults suffering from MDD experience some form of sleep disturbance. One long-range study of approximately 1,000 adults found that participants (between 21 and 30 years of age) who reported a history of difficulty falling asleep were four times as likely to develop major depression within three years. Furthermore, two long-range studies involving young people both concluded that sleep problems developed before their Major Depression Disorder diagnosis, not after.
Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Disorders
Historically, psychologists thought that insomnia and other sleep ailmen