Regarding your article “Is sleep a ‘magic pill’ for teen wellness in a mental health crisis?” (8 June), sleep research tells us that good sleep isn’t just about getting enough – the right quality of sleep is key. It has long been known that worrying and stress increase the intensity of REM sleep, when most dreaming occurs, causing it to start earlier on in the night and reducing the deep sleep needed to repair the brain and body. Clinical research shows that depriving someone of REM sleep leaves the amygdala 60% more reactive to emotionally charged events. So too much REM sleep is bad for us, as is too little. Public health education should seek not only to emphasise the importance of getting enough sleep, but to explain that the stress from unmet emotional needs can cause depression when we have too much REM sleep, or the impulse to act on suicidal thoughts when we don’t have enough.

Source: The Guardian June 14, 2021 16:07 UTC