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😴 Sleep and Mental Health: Why 7 Hours Are the Foundation

5 min read · Wellbeing & Daily Life

The official recommendation

A consensus statement by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society (Watson et al., 2015, journal SLEEP) reaches a clear result: adults should regularly sleep at least 7 hours per night to promote optimal health. Fewer than 7 hours are linked to increased risks including depression, weakened immune function and heightened pain sensitivity.

The interplay with mental health

Sleep and mental health influence each other: anxiety and depression disturb sleep, and chronically disturbed sleep in turn worsens anxiety and depressive symptoms (NHLBI/NIMH). Improving sleep is therefore considered a highly effective everyday lever and is explicitly addressed in many therapy programs.

Ten tested sleep hygiene rules (CDC/NHLBI)

1) Fixed sleep/wake times, including weekends. 2) Keep the bedroom dark, quiet and cool. 3) Avoid caffeine from late afternoon. 4) Limit alcohol before sleep (it destroys deep sleep stages). 5) Reduce screens about 1 hour before bed. 6) Daylight and movement during the day. 7) Use the bed only for sleep. 8) Avoid/delay large meals before bed. 9) Calming evening routine (e.g., 4-7-8 breathing). 10) If problems persist: consult a doctor.