Slumbered Sleep

Sleep is directly linked to emotional and mental
well-being and has been linked to disorders
including bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression
among others. Poor sleep is often a
symptom of mental health issues. In addition,
a lack of quality sleep, particularly insomnia,
can contribute to the onset and aggravation of
mental health issues. (Maquet, 2000)
The brain’s ability to interpret emotional information
is facilitated by getting enough sleep,
particularly REM sleep. The brain works to
analyze and retain thoughts and memories
when we sleep, and it appears that lack of
sleep is detrimental to emotionally positive information.
This is linked to mental health
illnesses and their severity, including the
likelihood of suicidal thoughts or actions,
and can affect mood and emotional reactivity.
The number of persons with depression,
a type of mood disorder characterized
by feelings of sadness or hopelessness,
is believed to be over 300 million worldwide7.
Around 75% of those who are depressed
experience insomnia, and many
depressed persons also experience excessive
daytime sleepiness, hypersomnia,
or oversleeping. (Maquet, 2000)
Figure 36
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