If you have ever found yourself feeling a little grouchy after a bad night’s sleep, know you’re not alone. There are several studies that have demonstrated the connection between the amount of sleep you get and your quality of mood.

They show us that there’s more to a good night’s sleep than simply having energy for the day ahead; it’s about feeling happy, too.

We are incredibly sensitive to changes in our sleep patterns. A striking example is the sudden increase in road accidents in the days following daylight savings time.

Even a small amount of time lost at night affects us, and adults with lower mental health tend to sleep less than others.

On average, an adult should be getting between 6-8 hours of sleep a night depending on their personal needs. During this time the body and mind repair themselves.

If this rest is interrupted, you will find yourself making compromises throughout the day, as well as becoming more quickly stressed.

Being more susceptible to stress impacts all areas of life. Your work becomes harder and tends to overwhelm you much faster, and personal relationships can be quickly strained.

Sleep deprivation has also been linked to weight gain and obesity. There is even an increased risk for strokes and diabetes.

Low-quality sleep or deprivation affects the entire family. In children, getting enough rest is key to their development as it allows them to learn how to process emotions without getting overwhelmed.

Tired children also don’t perform as well in school, with 81% of parents confirming that their children’s educational performances were affected by their lack of sleep at some time in their school life.

If you, as a parent, are not sleeping enough, it can affect your relationship with your child; with over half of parents admitting that they have been short with their children when they’re tired.

It’s clear that the irritability that sleep deprivation leaves you with can cause all sorts of issues. This doesn’t stop at your children, either—being easily irritated means tension is high with anyone that you interact with, which could start causing issues with your partner if you’re continuously suffering from a lack of sleep.

So how can you help improve your sleep and improve your happiness? We might not realize how our sleep is being affected until we examine our routine and environment…
 
Continue reading the article and learn more about sleep on Life Is An Episode website.