While there is growing conversation about mental health in society, it remains an area that people often hesitate to seek help for.
For many of us, especially the elderly, having a good night’s sleep is the answer to a wide range of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
“If sleep could fix everything, therapists would prescribe pillows,” she told HT Lifestyle.
“But that is not how the mind works.”The psychologist shared that people often tell her that they are feeling anxious even after getting eight hours of sleep every night.
What sleep can and cannot do When it comes to taking care of one’s mental health, Munia Bhattacharya acknowledged that sleep has an important role to play.
While there is growing conversation about mental health in society, it remains an area that people often hesitate to seek help for. For many of us, especially the elderly, having a good night’s sleep is the answer to a wide range of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
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When feeling down, one of the first things that come to mind is to just “sleep it off.” But that is not always the answer, according to Dr Munia Bhattacharya, a senior consultant in clinical psychology at Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram with more than 16 years of clinical experience.
“If sleep could fix everything, therapists would prescribe pillows,” she told HT Lifestyle. “But that is not how the mind works.”
The psychologist shared that people often tell her that they are feeling anxious even after getting eight hours of sleep every night. This phenomenon is more important than they realise, she noted.
What sleep can and cannot do When it comes to taking care of one’s mental health, Munia Bhattacharya acknowledged that sleep has an important role to play. The benefits of sleeping in this context include:
Giving an exhausted mind a break
Improving concentration
Improving patience
Improving emotional regulation “But when the problem is grief, unresolved trauma, chronic anxiety, depression, or a relationship that is quietly breaking you down, eight hours in bed does not make the problem disappear,” the psychologist pointed out.
“Sometimes, you wake up rested, and the problem is still waiting for you. That is not a failure of sleep. It is a sign that something else may need attention,” she added.
