We live in a culture that equates busyness with worth, where sleep is not a necessity but an indulgence. We sacrifice rest on the altar of efficiency, convinced that more hours awake will lead to more hours accomplished. But what if the opposite is true? Research shows that after just 17 hours without sleep, our cognitive function mirrors that of someone who is legally intoxicated. We wouldn’t pride ourselves on driving drunk—so why do we take pride in running on empty? The intricate link between sleep and mental health reveals an undeniable truth: rest is not a luxury but the foundation for emotional and psychological well-being. So, how are we unknowingly sabotaging our sleep—and more importantly, how can we begin to reclaim it?
The Role of Sleep in Mental Health
Sleep is often considered the body’s natural reset button. Beyond the restorative effects on the physical body, sleep is crucially involved in emotional regulation, memory processing, and cognitive function. Entering deep sleep allows the brain to consolidate memories and process the day’s emotions, clearing the “mental clutter” that can otherwise accumulate. When sleep is disrupted, however, these processes are compromised. Chronic sleep deprivation and sleep disruption have been linked to increased risks of mental health challenges such as:
- Anxiety: Insufficient sleep amplifies the brain’s fear response, making it more difficult to cope with stress.
- Depression: Disrupted sleep cycles can interfere with mood regulation and intensify feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
- Decreased Emotional Resilience: Sleep deprivation weakens emotional regulation, making it harder to manage stress, frustration, and interpersonal conflicts. This can heighten reactivity, leading to mood swings and difficulty recovering from setbacks.
- Cognitive decline: Poor sleep reduces attention, problem-solving ability, and even creativity, impacting our ability to thrive in daily life.
Ways We Sabotage Our Sleep
Sleep is an intimate act of self-care—a time to surrender to the unconscious, restore cognitive function, and nurture mental well-being. Yet, we resist it, delay it, and underestimate its significance. Before we can cultivate healthier sleep habits, we must first recognise the ways in which we sabotage and disrupt sleep.
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Treating Bedtime as Negotiable: As children, bedtime is a fixed ritual, a non-negotiable cornerstone of our daily routine set by caregivers. However, as adults, we trade structure for autonomy, and sleep often becomes an afterthought. When our sleep schedule shifts from day to day, our bodies struggle to keep up, disrupting the delicate symphony of our circadian rhythm. The result? Difficulty falling asleep, restless nights, and a decline in sleep quality that ripples into every aspect of our well-being.
What We Consume – Physically and Visually: What we take in before bed—stimulants like caffeine and sugar, depressants like alcohol—can disrupt our body’s natural ability to produce melatonin, the hormone that signals sleep. Blue light from phones and screens can do the same by tricking our brains into thinking it’s still daytime. What we take in—physically and visually—shapes how well we sleep.
No Designated Space for Sleep: When the bed becomes an office, a cinema, or a scrolling station, sleep loses its sanctuary. Working, watching, or scrolling in bed conditions the mind to associate it with activity, not rest. Without boundaries, sleep becomes just another task rather than a space to truly unwind.
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination: This refers to a phenomenon whereby sleep is put off in order to engage in other activities that an individual hasn’t had time for during the day. This is usually some form of leisure or entertainment engaged in at the expense of sleep.
The Feedback Loop of Sleep and Mental Health: The relationship between sleep and mental health is bidirectional—each influencing the other in a continuous feedback loop. Just as poor sleep can exacerbate mental health conditions, challenges such as anxiety, depression, or trauma can make falling and staying asleep difficult.
For neurodivergent individuals, this cycle can be even more complex. ADHD, autism, and other neurodivergent traits are often linked to delayed sleep cycles, heightened sensitivity to environmental stimuli, and difficulty winding down at night. Recognising the interdependence between mental health and sleep is key—not only for improving sleep but also for developing overall mental well-being.
Steps to Better Sleep – From Day to Night
By recognising the habits and patterns that disrupt our sleep, we can take control and become the architects of our own restorative rest. If sleep feels elusive, even small adjustments to your environment, daily habits and nighttime routine can make a significant difference. Here are some evidence-based approaches to promote deeper, more rejuvenating sleep.
Daytime Habits for Better Sleep
Prioritise a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Have the aim of waking and going to bed at the same time each day, even on weekends. Consistency reinforces your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
Get Morning Sunlight: Expose yourself to natural light soon after waking to help regulate your circadian rhythm. This signals your body to wake up and helps to ensure that melatonin—the sleep-regulating hormone—is produced at the right time in the evening.
Set Time Aside for Recreation and Relaxation: Make time during the day for entertainment, leisure and relaxation, to prevent the onset of revenge bedtime procrastination.
Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation: Try incorporating mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation into your routine to calm an overactive mind and ease your body into restful sleep.
Nighttime Habits for Restful Sleep
Create a Sleep Sanctuary: Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Consider using blackout curtains, white noise machines, or calming essential oils like lavender. If you don’t have a separate room for sleep, try to reserve your bed for rest and restoration, reinforcing the connection between this space and quality sleep.
Limit Stimulants: Reduce caffeine, alcohol and screen time in the hours leading up to bedtime. This will minimise the disruption to your body’s natural production of melatonin, aiding the onset of undisrupted sleep.
How Therapy Can Help
If sleep challenges impact the quality of your life and mental health, therapy can be a powerful resource for improving sleep in the following ways:
Identifying Underlying Causes: A therapist can help identify and address the underlying factors that may be disrupting sleep such as emotional issues, stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and lifestyle habits.
Managing Stress and Anxiety: Therapy can give people useful ways to handle stress and anxiety, like relaxation and mindfulness exercises.
Improving Sleep Hygiene: A therapist can encourage and guide you through healthy sleep routines and habits.
Trauma-Related Sleep Issues: Trauma-focused therapies such as EMDR can help to process past experiences that are now impacting your sleep and support emotional regulation.
Reducing Dependence on Sleep Medication: Therapy can help cut down on the need for sleep meds by tackling mental and relationship struggles and offering different ways to improve sleep.
Breaking the Cycle of Poor Sleep and Mental Health Struggles: Therapy can give you the right tools and support to tackle sleep issues linked to neurodivergence and mental health struggles. It helps bring back balance to your mind and body, making you feel better overall.
Seeking therapy isn’t just about improving rest—it’s about reclaiming a sense of balance and control over your health and daily life.
Prioritising Rest, Embracing Well-Being
Improving sleep doesn’t happen overnight. Like any journey toward well-being, it requires patience, commitment, and self-compassion. At Leone Centre, we understand the importance of rest as a foundational pillar of your mental health journey. Together, we can uncover the unique factors affecting your sleep and guide you toward lasting, restorative habits.
Our team of experienced therapists are here to support you. With appointments available in London and online, we can work together to restore the balance between rest, resilience, and a thriving mind.
Each night offers a chance to reset—to let go of the day’s weight and surrender to the restorative power of rest. Embracing the deep connection between sleep and mental health is a vital step towards overall wellbeing.
- About the Author
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Co-founder and director of Leone Centre, 20+ years of experience supporting people, and offering valuable knowledge through Couples Counselling and Individual Counselling. Before becoming a therapist, I worked in the financial sector.