Crucial Connections: Sleep & Mental Health
Student mental health concerns continue to rise. Despite numerous school initiatives, all very well intended, stress and anxiety levels remain largely unchanged (Chirikov et al., 2020). While interventions often focus on emotional and psychological strategies, one crucial factor is frequently overlooked: sleep. Physiological states significantly impact mental health, and sleep deprivation is a key contributor to emotional distress among students.
Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett (2020) emphasizes that the brain's primary function is to regulate the body’s energy needs through predictive processes. When the body is imbalanced, so too is the mind. This constant dialogue between brain and body influences emotions and cognition, shaping how students interpret and respond to stressors.
A well-known example is the experience of "hanger," where hunger amplifies irritability (MacCormack & Lindquist, 2019). Similarly, lack of sleep disrupts cognitive and emotional regulation, leading to heightened stress responses (Minkel et al., 2012). If schools neglect students’ physiological needs, their mental health interventions may be ineffective.
Additional research in the field of embodied cognition suggests that our bodily interactions with the world shape the very concepts we use to create thought. Imagine the last time you were significantly sleep-deprived - safe to assume that “bodily interactions with the world” were impacted. Over and over again, through evolving research or practical interaction, we find that body and mind cannot be separated. Whether for the pursuit of professional aims, relationship improvement, or to positively impact the greater conversation of mental health, this connection cannot be forgotten.
Sleep Deprivation and Mental Health
Anyone who has pulled an all-nighter understands the cognitive and emotional toll of sleep deprivation. Decision-making, emotional stability, and problem-solving become significantly impaired. Even minor stressors, such as a peer’s offhand remark, can feel overwhelming when one is sleep-deprived.
Scientific studies affirm that sleep deprivation increases negative affect and impairs self-regulation (Minkel et al., 2012). These effects may be tied to changes in dopamine and adenosine production, which influence mood and impulse control (Volkow et al., 2012). The result is a cycle in which poor sleep contributes to mental distress, which in turn further disrupts sleep patterns.
The physiological impact of sleep deprivation is routinely correlated with adverse mental health outcomes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) reveals striking correlations between sleep deprivation and student mental health. Compared to their well-rested peers, students sleeping less than eight hours per night reported:
1.67 times higher likelihood of feeling sad or hopeless
1.96 times higher likelihood of making a plan for self-harm)
1.88 times higher likelihood of attempting suicide
These figures suggest that inadequate sleep is more than an inconvenience—it is a major risk component in a worsening mental health crises.
Important to note that sleep extension does not “cure” one of mental health concerns. But limiting sleep creates a state that almost uniformly challenges them.
[for the original article highlighting these themes, check out the article from Boston Congress of Public Health]
Rethinking School Policies
School schedules contribute to chronic sleep deprivation. Early start times, late-night extracurricular activities, and heavy homework loads limit students' ability to get adequate rest. Suggestions of this nature are too frequently brushed off with “they’ll get used to it” or “they’ll build discipline” type sentiment. Nonsense. Adolescent circadian rhythms run approximately one hour later than that of adults - these student schedules were created with adult work schedules and travel logistics in mind. It is irresponsible, and factually innacurate, to suggest that these schedules were designed with students’ best interest in mind.
Schools that prioritize emotional regulation while maintaining sleep-depriving schedules are treating symptoms rather than addressing a root cause.
To create meaningful change, educators and administrators should consider:
Later school start times – Aligning schedules with adolescent circadian rhythms improves academic performance and well-being.
Mindful workload management – Reducing excessive homework and late-night activities supports healthier sleep opportunities.
Promoting sleep education – Helping students understand the value of rest can encourage better sleep hygiene.
Fixing the Foundation
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) initiatives and mental health interventions have value, but their effectiveness is limited if students are physically unprepared to engage with them.
Schools (and businesses, and families) would be wise to address structural barriers to sleep before expecting students to regulate their emotions effectively.
By prioritizing sleep, institutions can take a critical step toward improving student mental health, fostering both academic success and emotional resilience.
References and Associated Resources
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Arnal, P.J., Sauvet, F., Leger, D., van Beers, P., Bayon, V., Bougard, C., Rabat, A., Millet, G.Y., & Chennaoui, M. (2015). Benefits of Sleep Extension on Sustained Attention and Sleep Pressure Before and During Total Sleep Deprivation and Recovery. Sleep, 38(12), 1935–1943. https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.5244
Barrett, L. F. (2020). 7 ½ Lessons About the Brain. HMH Books.
Barrett L. F., Quigley K.S., Hamilton P. (2016). An active inference theory of allostasis and interoception in depression. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 371: 20160011
Chamberlin, J. (2009). Schools expand mental health care. Monitor on Psychology, 40(1). http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/01/school-clinic
Chirikov, I., Soria, K. M., Horgos, B., & Jones-White, D. (2020). Undergraduate and graduate students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. SERU Consortium, University of California – Berkeley and University of Minnesota. Retrieved from https://cshe.berkeley.edu/seru-covid-survey-reports
DaJose, L. (2020). The Brain Quenches Thirst in Different Ways. CalTech BBE. Retrieved from http://www.bbe.caltech.edu/news/brain-quenches-thirst-different-ways
Davis, J.D. (2019). A Sleep-Deprived Nation. Usable Knowledge (Harvard Graduate School of Education). Retrieved from https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/19/01/sleep-deprived-nation
MacCormack, J.K., Lindquist, K.A. (2019). Feeling hangry? When hunger is conceptualized as emotion. Emotion, 19(2), 301-319.
Minkel, J. D., Banks, S., Htaik, O., Moreta, M. C., Jones, C. W., McGlinchey, E. L., Simpson, N. S., & Dinges, D. F. (2012). Sleep deprivation and stressors: Evidence for elevated negative affect in response to mild stressors when sleep deprived. Emotion, 12(5), 1015–1020.
Reed, J. Buck, S. (2009). The effect of regular aerobic exercise on positive-activated affect: A meta-analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10(6), 581-594.
Ritland, B.M., Simonelli, G., Gentili, R.J., Smith, J.C., He, X., Mantua, Balkin, T.J., Bradley D. Hatfield, B.D. (2019). Effects of sleep extension on cognitive/motor performance and motivation in military tactical athletes. Sleep Medicine, 58, 48-55.
Schuch, F., Vancampfort, D., Firth, J., Rosenbaum, S. Ward, P., Reichert, T., Bagatini, N.C., Bgeginski, R., Stubbs, B. (2017). Physical activity and sedentary behavior in people with major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 210, 139-150.
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Volkow, N.D., Tomasi, D., Wang, G.J., Teland, F., Fowler, J.S., Logan, J., Benveniste, H., Thanos, P.K., Ferré, S. (2012). Evidence That Sleep Deprivation Downregulates Dopamine D2R in Ventral Striatum in the Human Brain. Journal of Neuroscience, 32(19), 6711-6717.
YRBS Analysis Tool-High School YRBS (2020). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://nccd.cdc.gov/YRBSSanalysis/