Our mood & sleep

Fatigue, nervousness and tension - poor sleep or too little sleep not only harms our health, but can also have a decisive impact on our mood. Here you can find out how sleep affects our psyche, whether good sleep puts us in a good mood and what you can do to start the day positively.

Table of Contents

1. Good & bad moods
2. The psyche in sleep
3. How poor sleep affects mood
1. Lack of sleep
2. Sleep disorders
3. Too much sleep
4. Start the day positively
5. Conclusion

1. Good & bad moods

The stressful everyday working life, the hectic family life or the dark, cold winter days sometimes really put us in a bad mood and make it difficult for us to get through the day in a good mood and optimistic. Day after day, our psyche reacts to numerous internal and external stimuli that arouse emotions and influence our well-being and state of mind. But our sleep can also have an impact on our moods. It's no coincidence that we ask bad-tempered people whether they "got up on the wrong foot" in the morning.

The basis of our emotional reactions, feelings and sensations lies in our brain, more precisely in the so-called limbic system. This is where internal and external stimuli are recorded and processed, linked to memories, for example, and an emotional reaction is triggered by the release of various hormones. The reward system in our brain is also particularly important for our state of mind. By experiencing positive situations or events, the messenger substances dopamine and serotonin, also known as happiness hormones, are released and we experience positive feelings such as happiness, joy or optimism. Serotonin also has a calming effect on our nerves and well-being, promotes inner balance and indirectly also promotes our sleep.

2. The psyche in sleep

Our reward systems and emotional processing of information are usually strongly related to sleep. Especially in the deep sleep phases our body and brain regenerate. The energy stores are replenished, experiences and information are processed and stored in the brain. Undisturbed, peaceful sleep is therefore not only of great importance for the healthy functioning of our organism, but also crucial for our mental health and our emotional state.

And a healthy sleep-wake cycle is also good for our mood, which in turn has a positive effect on sleep itself. Because during the day the body releases more of the happy hormone serotonin, which promotes a positive mood, calms our nervous system and counteracts negative feelings caused by stress or overstimulation. Towards the evening, serotonin is then converted into the sleep hormone melatonin, which makes us tired and enables us to sleep. During the night, our body is in a performance low, the body temperature drops and the serotonin level drops. This is how the famous nocturnal low mood develops, which then manifests itself in nightly waking phases through negative thoughts or extensive brooding.

3. This is how poor sleep affects mood

Scientific studies have shown that our mood is influenced on the one hand by the length of time we sleep, but in particular by the quality of our sleep. Why is that?

Lack of sleep

Lack of sleep and frequent interruptions to sleep prevent our regeneration from running optimally and mean that we don't get enough deep sleep. This puts the body under stress, which in turn increases our cortisol levels and has numerous negative consequences for our health and well-being. We are tired, have less energy, are irritable more quickly and are less able to concentrate. Of course, this also clouds our mood the next day and can in turn have a negative impact on sleep by putting pressure on ourselves and making it difficult to relax.

Sleep disturbances

Especially the interrupted and disturbed night sleep can affect our mood and our emotional perception. Frequent awakening impairs the course of the natural sleep cycles and thus reduces the proportion of deep sleep. Various studies show that frequent awakenings had a negative effect on subjects' mood, making them less sensitive to positive stimuli and more sensitive to negative ones. Those test subjects whose sleep was interrupted several times during the night were less sensitive to positive emotions such as joy and happiness and, on the contrary, reacted more strongly to negative feelings such as anger or fear. It also became clear that the subjects were not really able to perceive and enjoy positive experiences.

How we spend our waking hours at night is also crucial. If it is difficult to fall asleep again, the famous merry-go-round of thoughts often begins or we put ourselves under pressure, which increases the stress level again and also prevents a peaceful sleep.

Too much sleep

But too much sleep can also damage our mood and even worsen depressive moods. Because in addition to sufficient deep sleep, dream sleep (REM sleep), in which our brain is particularly active, is an important basis for healthy brain function and a stable psyche. Studies even show that people who suffer from insomnia are five times more likely to develop depression.

4. Start the day positively

Good sleep = good mood? Sufficient and above all undisturbed sleep is definitely involved in how we feel during the day. With a healthy night's sleep, sufficient daylight, exercise in the fresh air and positive experiences during the day, you can also support the release of endorphins and help you fall asleep in the evening. And your daily diet and vitamin supply can also help you to keep your hormone balance in balance, sleep better and thus keep you in a good mood. So you can sleep relaxed in the evening and start the day balanced, optimistic and in a good mood.

In this article you will find out how you can start the day more motivated with the perfect morning routine.

5. Conclusion

• Our mood is determined by positive or negative emotional reactions in the brain

• Lack of sleep, sleep disorders and also too much sleep damage mental health and stand in the way of positive emotions and moods

• Negative feelings affect the mind and in turn disturb a healthy, restful sleep

• Healthy sleep, sufficient exercise and the right diet promote the release of endorphins and have a positive effect on mood.

Greetings and see you soon!