When someone’s in a foul mood, we might joke that they “woke up on the wrong side of the bed”. But is that all there is to sleep?

With 4 out of 10 Singaporeans not sleeping enough on weekdays, it might seem like sleep isn’t really that important. Some of us drink coffee to perk ourselves up, feel unaffected emotionally, and work from home (i.e., there is no need to socialise with co-workers or bosses). Even if so, we’re here to remind you that sleep does affect us, even if it seems like it doesn’t!

What Happens When We Sleep

Sleep comprises 4 stages: N1, N2, N3, and REM (rapid eye movement). Most of us might have heard of REM and that’s when we get to experience dreams, but did you know about the others?

We would typically go through 4 to 6 sleep cycles a night, with each cycle ranging anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.
 

What Is Affected When We Don’t Sleep Enough

Adding It All Up

Does sleep sound important enough yet? We commonly hear about the lack of sleep leading to physical ailments such as high blood pressure and heart diseases, and that’s the case for our mental health too! With how sleep deprivation affects us in the ways above, you can imagine how there is also an increased risk of developing mental health disorders.

Studies have found that those with sleep difficulties are more likely to feel stressed, ruminate, develop depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders, and experience psychotic episodes.

For individuals who are already struggling with mental health difficulties, inadequate sleep can exacerbate symptoms and hinder therapeutic progress. Conversely, the greater the sleep quality, the lower the likelihood and severity of such outcomes.

Contrary to popular belief, sleep is not for the weak. Sleep makes us strong enough, emotionally, intellectually and physically, to tackle our challenges and daily stressors. “Catching up on sleep” doesn’t work the same as sleeping the recommended amounts per night. There is a limit to how much we can undo the adverse effects of long-term sleep disturbances.