Why is rest important for mental health?
Brianne Becker
2025-06-01 23:50:22
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Sleep isn’t just about feeling rested, it’s essential for mental health, focus, and resilience. Research from the UK’s Mental Health Foundation found that 48% of adults say poor sleep negatively affects their mental health, leading to increased stress, anxiety, and low mood. Poor sleep has been linked to: Higher stress levels – The Sleep Charity reports that sleep deprivation increases cortisol (the stress hormone), making it harder to manage emotions and daily pressures. Increased risk of anxiety and depression – Research from the University of Oxford highlights that long-term poor sleep is strongly linked to mental health conditions, with insomnia being a significant predictor of depression. Good sleep habits help to: Improve mood and emotional resilience – A well-rested brain is better at managing stress and emotions. Boost focus and productivity – A rested mind is sharper and more engaged.
Kaylah Hoeger
2025-06-01 22:54:05
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Rest keeps our physical and mental health in balance. We become most aware of our need for rest during times of illness or exhaustion, but we all need periods of rest every day to keep our mental and physical health in balance. Quality rest makes it easier to handle your emotions and think clearly. We’re less likely to have big swings in how we feel or lash out if we’re rested. Like a run-down car, a tired brain might stutter and stall when it tries to work. A rested brain is more likely to function better. Rest gives our bodies time and energy to carry out key functions, like breaking down food into simpler parts through digestion, using building blocks from food to repair cells and restock energy supplies, and getting rid of waste products that build up during activity. Rest helps repair our bodies after we’ve been physically active. Whatever the reasons, lack of rest directly impacts mental health.
Alba Champlin
2025-06-01 20:33:54
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It's vital for good physical and mental health and wellbeing. It's important to appreciate why we sleep: to rest and repair our mind and body. Longer stretches of bad sleep can do the opposite and have a negative impact on our physical and mental health or wellbeing. Longer-term sleep problems can affect our relationships and social life, and leave us feeling tired all the time, eating more and not able to do daily tasks. You may find it difficult to fall asleep, lie awake for long periods at night, wake up several times during the night, wake up early and be unable to get back to sleep, feel down or have a lower mood, have difficulty concentrating, be more irritable than usual.
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