How Your Health Impacts Your Sleep

We know sleep impacts your health, but how does your health impact your sleep? The relationship is just as direct. Healthy people have an easier time having healthy sleep. Unfortunately, people in poor health tend to have a tougher time enjoying good sleep, which makes it harder for them to be healthier. It’s a frustrating cycle.

People with serious, chronic health conditions commonly suffer from sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, sleep movement disorders, and more. Sometimes the cause of these disorders is mental or emotional. The person is living with significantly more anxiety and stress than someone without their condition, and that can develop into worries that keep them up at night.

Other times, it’s physical. People with diabetes and obesity may have higher body weights that make it tougher for them to breathe at night, leading to sleep apnea and related insomnia. Similarly, certain neurological disorders are tied to brain abnormalities that result in sleep problems.

The good news is that if a person is able to better manage their symptoms, they’ll be able to get better sleep. And with better sleep, they’ll have an easier time managing their symptoms.