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The relationship between insomnia and mental health

On Behalf of | Apr 28, 2023 | Mental Conditions

Many people associate insomnia with a mild disorder that might marginally impact a person’s quality of life. In some situations, though, insomnia becomes more severe and could result in the inability to hold down a job.

The connection between insomnia and mental illness remains a subject of debate.

The definition of insomnia

Information from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute describes insomnia as a common sleep disorder that prevents a person from getting a good night’s rest. Short-term insomnia refers to infrequent bouts of poor sleep that might last for a few weeks. It often has recognizable causes such as stress or life changes.

Chronic insomnia lasts longer and often has difficult-to-pinpoint causes. It could impact a person for three months or longer and can increase the risk of certain illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Both types of insomnia can affect memory and concentration. This could affect job performance in many different ways.

The link between insomnia and mental illness

According to information from Healthline, insomnia and mental illness have a complicated relationship. For example, some psychiatric disorders can lead to insomnia, while insomnia can exacerbate some mental conditions.

Insomnia has an association with several types of serious mental conditions that could lead to the inability to hold down a job. These mental conditions include the following:

  • Depression
  • Schizophrenia
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder

For some people, chronic insomnia can reduce a person’s quality of life and even impact his or her ability to remain employed. Many treatment options exist for insomnia that could restore quality of life and improve job performance.

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