Study Shows Importance of Sleep for Mental Health

Recent research underscores how critical good sleep is for mental well‑being, showing strong links between sleep quality and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. A meta-analysis of 54 studies involving over 10,000 adults found that improving sleep quality led to large reductions in depression and moderate reductions in anxiety.Another meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials further supports a causal relationship between sleep and mental health. The researchers reviewed 65 trials (8,608 participants) and found that interventions that improved sleep produced significant improvements in depression, anxiety, stress, and rumination.
In adolescents, a study in Nairobi showed that sleep impairment (poor quality or insufficient sleep) was strongly associated with anxiety, depression, and anger — even after accounting for childhood trauma (ACEs). This suggests that disrupted sleep is a major factor in poor mental health among vulnerable youth.
Experts therefore argue that sleep should be a cornerstone of mental health interventions: promoting good sleep hygiene, regular sleep schedules, and interventions to improve sleep could help prevent or lessen mental health problems across different age groups.