Mental health and productivity rely on good rest, clinical psychologist  

A radical shift is needed in our attitude towards sleep and rest. 

“Just how much our sleep affects our mental health and wellbeing is generally vastly underestimated,” says Tony de Gouveia, a clinical psychologist practising at Netcare Akeso Alberton. 

“The role of poor sleep in anxiety and depression is well documented. It’s not only our physical energy that is replenished during sleep, but it is also essential for our cognitive functioning and emotional regulation.” 

Yet, we often fail to make getting enough good quality sleep a consistent priority. Studies vary, but it’s been suggested that between a third and as many as half of us regularly get less than the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night, a figure that de Gouveia considers concerning.

“Burning the midnight oil is the enemy of productivity and creativity, yet when we are under pressure, rest is often the first thing we tend to sacrifice. We need to rethink how we value our sleep. Rest is fundamental to productivity, not its opposite,” he says. 

He points out that there are many factors that can reduce the quality of our sleep, including 80 recognised sleep disorders, the most common being chronic insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea, which de Gouveia has experienced firsthand. When these remain undiagnosed, the person’s risk of other health issues also increases.

“Doomscrolling on social media late into the night, as well as the blue light from screens, which prevents people from getting a normal night’s sleep, is becoming a big problem. As high school pupils are increasingly inseparable from their phones, this could have real consequences for young people’s full participation in learning,” he says. 

“Stress, particularly in the hours before bed or when feeling anxious while lying awake in bed, disrupts the restorative sleep cycle. It’s been observed that each stressful thought takes the average person about 20 minutes to process before they can start to fall asleep, and in the small hours, fears and worries can take on a life of their own.”

He points out that women are more likely to struggle with sleep than men, for reasons ranging from traditionally bearing a greater share of childcare responsibilities to physiological factors.

“Waking up in the night or pre-dawn hours with insomnia further erodes sleep, and stressing about not getting enough sleep as the hours tick away only compounds the vicious cycle,” de Gouveia says. 

He warns against self-medicating with alcohol or cannabis to induce sleep, as these can disturb healthy sleep cycles and lead to dependence and substance use disorders. 

“Getting enough quality sleep may seem like an elusive goal, a luxury we can’t afford in our busy lives. There are numerous intrinsic benefits that make it truly worthwhile to re-evaluate the importance of sleep for every aspect of our daily lives, not least our mental health. The only way to make this stick is to link good quality sleep habits and healthy rest habits to our daily routine.” 

“If your sleep doesn’t improve or you still don’t feel rested, consult a doctor to investigate whether there may be an underlying physical cause, or book an appointment with a mental health professional if you find that stress, anxiety or racing thoughts are keeping you awake,” de Gouveia advises.

To make an appointment with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or occupational therapist, contact your nearest Netcare Akeso facility or download the Netcare app. In a psychological crisis, call Netcare Akeso’s 24-hour crisis line on 0861 435 787. Experienced counsellors are available to listen and offer support at any time, day or night.