Lack of sleep makes us overly sensitive emotionally, while sufficient and deep sleep helps regulate and soothe difficult emotional experiences.
The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on the Emotional Brain
Sleep deprivation makes us emotionally unstable and overreactive. A brain imaging study compared people who had enough sleep with those who were sleep-deprived.
The results showed that when deprived of sleep, the emotional center of the brain, specifically the amygdala, becomes hypersensitive, reacting 60% more strongly than in well-rested individuals. The amygdala is responsible for generating strong emotional reactions, especially negative ones.
When we get enough sleep, the prefrontal cortex, which acts like the “CEO” managing emotions, functions well and helps control the amygdala. However, in sleep-deprived people, the communication between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala is disrupted, leading to excessive emotional reactions without proper regulation.
Sufficient Sleep Helps “Heal” Emotions
While sleeping, the brain goes through four different stages, one of which is Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep.
When you get enough sleep, especially REM sleep, it acts as a form of “emotional first aid,” easing the impact of difficult emotional experiences from the day and soothing them.
Thus, it’s not time, but sleep that helps heal emotional wounds, allowing us to cope better with them the next day.
Source: TED YouTube channel with over 25 million subscribers