• Question: What's your opinion on how much sleep you get links to psychology?

    Asked by anon-237445 to Peter, Mhairi, Madeleine, Catherine, Andrew on 18 Mar 2020.
    • Photo: Mhairi Bowe

      Mhairi Bowe answered on 18 Mar 2020:

      Sleep is vital, in fact we recently published a paper on the links between loneliness and sleep and how it can impact on well-being. We found strong family relationships help protect against this.

      Sleep is so closely linked to stress and worry, so it can be easily disrupted and it is really important to try to relax, get some gentle exercise, and avoid caffeine and blue light devices before bed.

    • Photo: Catherine Talbot

      Catherine Talbot answered on 19 Mar 2020:

      Sleep is super important to be able to function on a day-to-day basis. People who find it very difficult to sleep are known as insomniacs. Not being able to sleep can affect concentration, memory, and it can even effect your body, such as your immune system. In contrast, if a person is sleeping too much this can be a sign of depression!

    • Photo: Madeleine Pownall

      Madeleine Pownall answered on 20 Mar 2020:

      Here’s a cool video that explains the link between sleep deprivation (not getting enough sleep) on brain and body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-8b99rGpkM

      The guy in the video is Professor Matthew Walker, a Professor of Neuroscience and *Psychology*! He wrote a book called ‘Why we Sleep’ that answers this very question.

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