How Did You Sleep?

A work colleague recently told me that she manages to get eight hours sleep every night. How I envied her! At the time I was suffering from insomnia. This had lasted for a month and it was really affecting my mental health. The insomnia eventually disappeared. Thankfully I was able to sleep normally again. But it was a reminder of just how important sleep is to my well-being.

On Friday 14th March 2025, it is World Sleep Day. Organised by the World Sleep Society, it is an annual event held on the Friday before the Vernal Equinox. Its aim is to promote the benefits of healthy sleep, and to advance our knowledge of sleep and sleep disorders.

The statistics concerning sleep disorders are surprising to say the least. According to official figures, 207,000 working days are lost in the UK every year due to insufficient sleep. The annual cost to the economy is an astonishing £50 billion. Mental Health UK also cites the latest research. This has shown that almost 1 in 5 people are not getting enough sleep.

So how much is enough? It has been estimated that the average amount of sleep needed by an adult is seven to nine hours a night.

We need to sleep well in order to repair the mind and body. It is vital to our physical and mental well-being. I believe that society needs to take this issue much more seriously.

The pace of life today can affect our ability to switch off and sleep properly. We are bombarded with information and images throughout our waking hours. Much of our lives are spent staring at screens on devices that most of us use.

Many life problems can adversely affect our sleep. Among these are financial anxieties, work problems, and family or other relationship issues. The resultant poor sleep can affect our ability to solve problems, to control our emotions and behaviour, and to concentrate properly. This is especially true if a sleep disorder lasts for a long time.

Prolonged insomnia can be a symptom of anxiety or depression. Poor sleep can also exacerbate these problems. (Too much sleep can also be an issue in the case of depression.). Sleep disorders can also affect other mental illnesses such as psychosis and schizophrenia. People who suffer from schizophrenia are particularly prone to sleep disorders such as insomnia or excessive sleeping.

Some antipsychotic medications can have a sedative effect which causes excessive sleepiness. It is important that family or friends of a loved one understand this.

There are a number of resources that can help with sleep disorders. More information on World Sleep Day can be found at worldsleepday.org. The Mental Health Foundation website has a page on How to Sleep Better. There are also tips on sleeping better on the NHS website, and the Mind website has some helpful information on antipsychotic medications and their side effects.