Lack of sleep & mental health

Families Education Lack of sleep impacts emotional resilience and mental health

Our children getting the sleep they need is fundamental to their physical and mental health. It is one of the most important building blocks that their development is built upon - particularly their emotional health, mental wellbeing and their day-to-day mood.

There was a time when we thought sleep issues were a symptom of mental health issues, but we now understand that, for our children, their mental wellbeing and their sleep have an interconnected relationship. Poor sleep impacts on our mental health, and if our children are struggling with their emotional wellbeing this will impact on their sleep.

When it comes to our kids' sleep cycle, the stage that impacts on their emotional resilience and mental health the most is the REM stage of sleep. It helps to see this stage of sleep as an overnight counselling session, where they will be working through the emotions of the previous day. If our kids are not getting enough sleep then it is often this stage of sleep that is most affected. Any parent can tell when their children have slept well as they are more emotionally resilient, more alert and focused and want to engage with the world.

As parents, we also see our child’s behaviour change when they haven’t met their sleep need in terms of quality and quantity. They struggle to regulate their emotions, getting angry at the slightest thing, being lethargic and not wanting to do anything. Sometimes they can be “bouncing off the walls” as the body makes up the energy deficit from a lack of sleep by producing more stress hormones to give the appearance that they are overly energetic. In fact, research is starting to show that what was previously thought to be ADHD, could in some cases be the symptoms of sleep deprivation.

For more information, please visit www.beingwellfamily. com

Image: Sleep Expert James Wilson AKA The Sleep Geek