Sleep and Mental Health

For World Sleep Day March 15, 2024 the theme and slogan is Quality Sleep, Sound Mind, Happy World. Sleep is integral to life, but it’s easy to ignore its importance; we never think of proper sleep until we lose it. With statistics showing as many as 16 million adults are suffering from sleepless nights and 4 in 10 adults admit that poor sleep has made them feel more stressed and overwhelmed. It is no surprise that there’s a close relationship between sleep and mental health.

The odd bad night's sleep can make you feel tired and irritable the next day, but it won't harm your health. However, regular poor-quality sleep can have a huge effect on your health and can affect your body, thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. Living with a mental health problem can affect how well you sleep; similarly poor sleep can have a negative impact on your mental health.

How can you improve your mental health?

Remember these tips may help one person and not the other. Only try some suggestions you feel comfortable with, do not put too much pressure on yourself, try something else or come back to it at another time.

• Establish a routine: try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, using a sleep diary to track and rate your sleep.
• Relax before bed: try breathing exercises or meditation, focusing on something can stop overthinking.
• Using devices before bed: using screens before bedtime can negatively affect your sleep.
• Your diet: consider how your diet affects you, for example, your caffeine or sugar intake.
• Physical activity: studies show being outside and being active can have a positive effect on your sleeping pattern.

Visit our Switching Off and Sleeping Well for further tips on how to improve your sleep quality, and have a positive impact on your mental and physical health. 

For more health and wellbeing information, please email healthandwellbeing@carmarthenshire.gov.uk