This year, as the world is banding together for World Mental Health Day and talking about how to make mental health and wellbeing a global priority for all, let’s elevate sleep to be part of that same conversation.
Why? Well, as scientists begin piecing together the many different ways physical and mental health are interconnected, they are discovering more and more how sleep and mental health are intertwined – and why sleep needs to be prioritized as a part of mental health care.
Fatigue is known to affect mood, motivation, attention, awareness, socialization, emotional regulation…the list just goes on and on. When we take this into consideration, it’s no wonder that a chronic sleep condition can wreak havoc on a person’s physical and mental health.
In fact, according to an article published in Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publishing, chronic sleep conditions affect up to 80% of patients in a psychiatric practice, compared to the fact that 20% of the typical US population as a whole has a chronic sleep condition. The difference in prevalence is staggering. Add to this the fact that poor sleep can exacerbate many mental health related issues, it can start to feel like a very concerning chicken and egg situation.
Sleep is a critical piece of comprehensive mental health care. In a case-matched cohort, we found that when a comprehensive sleep health care management program like Nox Health’s SleepCharge program is used, mental health costs plummeted by 96% – not to mention the associated lift in health outcomes.
This level of care acceleration is a must-have component of any benefits ecosystem. Helping employees understand the resources and benefits available to them to address sleep and mental health related issues should be top of mind for every HR leader today. Join us in the shift to a more proactive health care culture, including promoting exercise, embracing sleep to rejuvenate our mind and body, and widening access to good nutrition and food, all of which will have a positive impact on mental health and well-being.
Learn more about the connection in our paper, The link between sleep and mental health.
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