Getting a good night's sleep is one of the most important things you can do. Not only is it key to physical health, it also improves mood and overall mental health. But it's not just how much sleep we get; according to new research, getting woken up in the middle of the night will do more to turn you into a sourpuss than staying up late or waking up early.
Around 30 percent of people suffer some symptoms of insomnia, and 10 percent meet the diagnostic criteria for insomnia, which includes feeling distress or some kind of impairment as a result of sleepless nights. Despite those numbers, there's not a whole lot of information out there on how insomnia works. Researchers know people with insomnia often wake up several times a night and generally get less sleep than others, and they know that insomnia leads to depression and poor mood—no surprises there. But what exactly is it about insomniacs' sleep patterns that gets people moody and depressed? So far, scientists who study sleep haven't been able to figure that out.
[For more of this story, written by Nathan Collins, go to http://www.psmag.com/health-an...n-not-getting-enough]
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