The Relationship Between Sleep and Mood

Getting a good night’s sleep – between seven and nine hours each night – leaves you refreshed and ready to go. But when you struggle to fall asleep or have difficulty staying asleep, irritability and stress kick in, sending you spiraling into a bad mood for the rest of the day. According to Healthy Sleep, a website maintained by the Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine, studies have shown that even partial sleep deprivation can significantly affect your mood.

Healthy Sleep cited a University of Pennsylvania study in which subjects who were limited to four-and-a-half hours of sleep each night for one week reported an increase in stress and felt more angry, sad and mentally exhausted. When they returned to their normal sleep schedules, the subjects said their mood showed a marked improvement. The site also reports that while sleep affects your mood, your mood affects the quality of your sleep, so it’s imperative to get a good night’s sleep so that you’re not irritable or anxious, which can lead to more sleep problems down the road.

Getting a full night’s sleep is important, according to sleep.org, because while you’re in dreamland, your body is hard at work managing the “feel-good” brain chemicals including epinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. If you’re not getting enough sleep, your body doesn’t have enough time to regulate the chemicals, which could leave you in a slump. And chronic sleeplessness can put you at risk for depression according to WebMD. What are some ways you can guarantee yourself a goodnight sleep so you’re energized come morning? Relax by taking a warm bath before bed and keep your bedroom nice and cool – between 60 and 67 degrees. And, if you tend to overheat at night, be sure to put on a pair of our moisture-wicking sleepwear to keep you comfortable while you sleep.