We all know how important getting good sleep is for warding off anxiety and depression.
50-80% of people who struggle with mental illness also struggle with sleep.
A new study by Berkeley shows just how powerful the neural link between sleep and anxiety is. And why.
The researchers showed participants an “emotionally stirring” video after a night of no sleep, and a night of deep sleep.
Using functional MRI and polysomnography, they found that the medial prefrontal cortex shut down after a sleepless night. That’s the part of the brain that keeps our anxiety levels down. The emotional centers, however, were overly activate.
That changed after a good night of sleep. The prefrontal cortex got back to doing its job, regulating emotions, and it drastically reduced anxiety levels the next day.
Now you might say — well, of course. No sleep vs. deep sleep is going to make a huge difference.
Well, in a larger study, the researchers found that even subtle changes in sleep affected anxiety levels the next day.
In other words, that extra hour matters, particularly if it’s non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM). That’s deep sleep.
The study authors note how crucial it is that any plan to treat anxiety begin, first and foremost, with learning how to get good sleep.
“People with anxiety disorders routinely report having disturbed sleep, but rarely is sleep improvement considered as a clinical recommendation for lowering anxiety,” [study lead author Eti] Simon said.
“Our study not only establishes a causal connection between sleep and anxiety, but it identifies the kind of deep NREM sleep we need to calm the overanxious brain.”
https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/11/04/deep-sleep-can-rewire-the-anxious-brain/
So true.
I recently wrote about a study that showed a strong relationship between suicidal thoughts and a lack of sleep. And remember, anxiety is more likely to cause suicide than depression, so it makes sense.
Unfortunately, in the United States, people almost brag about how little sleep they get — as if it’s a testament to their productivity or stamina.
Christians, of course, do this, too, because our Protestant Work Ethic history has made us especially prone to making an idol out of work, and how often do we hear, “I’m just so productive in that extra hour.”
(Our obsession with work at the expense of our mental and spiritual health reminds me of a joke I read, somewhere:
Russian Novel: Does Suffering have meaning?
American Novel: Does Work have meaning?
French Novel: Does Love have meaning?
German novel: No.)
Oh, and since I guess this site is supposed to be helpful, here are 17 things you can do to get a good sleep.
[Photo: Pexels.com]
(I first posted this in 2020. But I repost it periodically to show how important it is for us to take our sleep).
