Getting consistently poor sleep can have huge consequences on your daily functioning and can exacerbate mental health conditions. Conversely, certain mental health issues can make it hard to get to or stay asleep. Getting stuck in a cycle of deficient sleep can feel never-ending, like there’s no chance of getting better.
Thankfully, there is hope. Our mental health experts in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Cambridge, and across Massachusetts can help you process and heal from your mental health concerns, getting you back on the path to deeper rest. Reach out to us at 508.794.8711 or fill out a brief form to learn more about how we can help.
Common Factors That Can Influence Sleep
There are several factors that can influence someone’s sleep patterns, including a variety of medical and mental health conditions:¹
- Medical conditions: Sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, chronic pain, heart disease, and other medical problems can contribute.
- Schedule changes: Working the night shift or experiencing jet lag can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle.
- Age: Older adults often have a more difficult time falling asleep or staying asleep.
- Mental health concerns: Stress, anxiety, depression, and other conditions can affect someone’s ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or have energy during the day.
- Certain drugs and medications: Caffeine, alcohol, and other legal or illegal substances can play a role.
If you’re dealing with sleep difficulties, it’s a good idea to consult with your doctor to rule out and address any physical health concerns that could be contributing.
How Mental Health Can Impact Sleep
Many mental health concerns and life situations are often the underlying cause of sleep issues. Anxiety and depression can both impact sleep quality, as can stress, trauma, and a wide variety of mental health concerns.
Mental health conditions that can impact sleep include:²
- Anxiety: Many people with anxiety have trouble falling asleep, dealing with ruminating thoughts, racing heartbeat, or restlessness.
- Depression: One core symptom of depression is either sleeping too much or dealing with insomnia.
- PTSD: Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, sometimes due to intrusive thoughts or hyper-vigilance.
- Bipolar disorder: People with bipolar disorder typically have reduced sleep during more manic episodes.
Common Types of Sleep Issues
Sleep disturbances come in many forms, from difficulty falling asleep (insomnia) to issues staying asleep (hypersomnia). Others can struggle with nightmares or drowsiness. While some physical reasons for poor sleep are beyond the scope of our mental health experts, we can help with many of the mental reasons for sleep issues.
Common mental health-related sleep issues include:³
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Inability to stay asleep
- Experiencing sleep paralysis
- Daytime drowsiness
- Falling asleep during other activities
- Frequent nightmares
- Waking up too early
Are you or a loved one dealing with sleep issues related to your mental health?
Our expert mental health care team can help you pinpoint the underlying reasons for your sleep problems and help you work toward comprehensive solutions.
Treatment for Mental Health-Related Sleep Issues
If you have a medical concern that’s impacting your sleep, it’s important to consult with your doctor to figure out appropriate treatments. However, if your sleep disruption is influenced by stress, anxiety, depression, or another mental health issue, working with an empathetic care team to address those underlying concerns will likely lead to better sleep.
Treatment for mental health-related sleep problems can include:
Therapy
When sleep problems are connected to a mental health issue, therapy can help you process and resolve those concerns. Over time, understanding and processing through these mental health concerns should lead to you feeling better, including getting higher quality sleep.
One of the core therapies for sleep is CBT-I, or CBT for insomnia. Your therapist might ask you to keep a sleep diary, talk with you about your current beliefs and habits around sleep, and develop better sleep hygiene and daily rhythms to improve your sleep quality.
Beyond that, working with a therapist to manage your other mental health symptoms can lead to better sleep as well. For instance, you may spend time processing a traumatic experience, leading to fewer nightmares; you might practice techniques to manage nighttime anxiety; or, you could learn skills to be able to help your brain turn off more easily at night if you have ADHD.
Medication
Medication can be utilized to help a person fall asleep, feel more energized, or address mental health issues that may lead to sleep problems. For example, antidepressants can help regulate sleep if that’s a symptom of your depression,⁴ treating anxiety could help you better relax at night, and ADHD medication can regulate racing thoughts, helping your brain slow down and be ready for sleep.
Note that, sometimes, starting a new medication can impact sleep. If you notice sleep problems after beginning a new mental health medication, be sure to talk with your prescriber about your experience.
The Benefits of Seeking Help for Sleep Issues with Northeast Health Services
If you’re having trouble sleeping, talking with your primary care provider can help ensure there aren’t any deeper medical concerns to be aware of. Beyond that, for sleep issues related to mental health, our empathetic care teams can help you determine the best combination of therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes to start feeling better. Our clinicians at Northeast Health Services all work together to help our neighbors across Massachusetts find the compassionate care they deserve.
Here’s what you can expect if you come to Northeast Health Services for mental health treatment:
- Start your journey with a phone call to 508.794.8711 or fill out a quick form to get a call back at your convenience.
- Talk to a dedicated intake specialist who can help you understand your insurance copays (we are in-network with most major insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid) and schedule your first appointment.
- Come to one of our conveniently located clinics around Massachusetts or talk to your provider about telehealth if that’s a better option for you.
- Work with your care team to get ongoing therapy, psychiatry, and additional supports as long as you need them.
Finding Help at Northeast Health Services
At Northeast Health Services, we are committed to providing our neighbors in Boston, Springfield, Cambridge, Worcester, and across Massachusetts with access to life-changing mental health services. If you think that your inability to get a good night’s sleep is related to an underlying mental issue, contact us today at 508.794.8711 or fill out a brief form to get started with treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common sleep issues?
Common sleep issues include:³
- Insomnia
- Hypersomnia
- Sleep apnea
- Narcolepsy
- Restless leg syndrome
- Delayed sleep phase syndrome
- REM sleep behavior disorder
What causes sleep disorders?
Sleep disorders can be caused by a wide range of factors, including genetics, aging, a medical condition, or a mental health concern. Additionally, situational factors like jet lag and working odd hours can lead to developing a sleep disorder.
Is there a non-drug treatment for sleep disturbances?
Yes, talk therapy can help with sleep disturbances. A specific form of therapy called CBT-i is specifically formulated to treat insomnia, helping people change their patterns and beliefs around sleep to help increase the quality and quantity of their sleep over time. Additionally, dealing with any mental health concerns that could be contributing to difficulty sleeping, such as processing trauma or working through anxiety, can lead to better sleep.
Are sleep issues genetic?
Yes. While not fully understood, there is a genetic component to sleep disorders. Someone is more likely to develop insomnia, restless leg syndrome, or sleep apnea if a family member has the condition.¹
Can ADHD cause sleep issues?
There is certainly a relationship between sleep and ADHD. Sleep problems are reported among 25–50% of people with ADHD, and adults who don’t get adequate quality sleep are more likely to report with symptoms of ADHD. While not a guarantee, sleep disorders such as restless leg syndrome, insomnia, and circadian rhythm sleep disorder are all common co-occurring conditions with ADHD.⁶
Why can’t I sleep at night even when I’m tired?
Many people have issues with insomnia when they’re stressed. A stressful life event like a breakup or divorce, death of a loved one, or difficult work or school setting can often be a trigger. Trouble sleeping is a common symptom for those dealing with mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. Additionally, certain medications, constant travel, poor sleep hygiene, and eating too close to bedtime can make it difficult to get to sleep.
How do I fix my sleep disorder?
There are several things you can try on your own to get better sleep: Keep your bedtime and wakeup time the same every day, make sure to get daily physical activity, limit naps, moderate your caffeine and alcohol intake, and try creating a relaxing nighttime ritual, like listening to soft music. If you suspect you have a more serious sleep disorder, consider meeting with your doctor to rule out any physical concerns. You can also get mental health support if you suspect your sleep issues are more related to stress or another mental health condition.
What foods help you sleep better?
Certain foods contain nutrients that can help activate sleep hormones in the body, including:⁵
- Foods higher in tryptophan: Turkey, chicken, fish, beans, tofu, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds
- Foods with melatonin: Tart cherry juice, Montmorency cherries, eggs, milk, almonds, and pistachios
- Foods high in magnesium: Avocados, bananas, sweet potatoes, and spinach
More Insights on Sleep
Better Sleep, Better Mental Health: NEHS’s Comprehensive Approach to Sleep Disturbances in Boston
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Sources:
- Sleep Disorders. (2024). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20354018
- Krystal A. D. (2012). Psychiatric disorders and sleep. Neurologic clinics, 30(4), 1389–1413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ncl.2012.08.018
- Sleep Disorders. (2023). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11429-sleep-disorders
- Wichniak, A., Wierzbicka, A., Walęcka, M., & Jernajczyk, W. (2017). Effects of Antidepressants on Sleep. Current psychiatry reports, 19(9), 63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-017-0816-4
- What to Eat and Avoid Before Bed. (2025). Northwestern Medicine. https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/nutrition/eats-to-help-you-sleep
- Wajszilber, D., Santiseban, J. A., & Gruber, R. (2018). Sleep disorders in patients with ADHD: impact and management challenges. Nature and science of sleep, 10, 453–480. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S163074