From forbes.com
By Pooja Mistry
Sleep affects almost everything about us. It shows in our skin and our overall appearance, in how well we think and handle basic tasks, and, most importantly, in our mental health. World Mental Health Day falls on October 10 each year, and more professionals and industry experts are acting on the direct link between sleep and mental well-being. That link matters all year, not just in October. Below, experts discuss how the link between sleep, mental health, and other aspects of our wellbeing work and what tools can help maximize our ability to sleep well.
Sleep And Mental Health Feed Each Other
Jason Amoury is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the American University of Beirut, where he led the Sleep and Upper Airway Research Group (SUARG) and has researched sleep for two decades. Research has tied sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), to anxiety and depression. So what happens in the brain and body when sleep is repeatedly disrupted?
“Sleep plays an important role in emotional regulation, memory, cognitive functioning and overall physiological recovery. When sleep is repeatedly disrupted, these processes can be affected,” Amoury explains over email. In OSA, the upper airway repeatedly narrows or collapses during sleep, reducing airflow and often lowering oxygen levels. The brain briefly rouses the person to restore breathing, usually without their awareness. In severe cases this can happen hundreds of times a night. The disruptions can change how the brain processes emotions and responds to stress. Oxygen fluctuations, along with repeated activation of the body’s stress response, can also contribute to inflammation and strain the nervous system. The result can be irritability, trouble concentrating, heightened emotional sensitivity and less ability to cope with everyday stress.
The relationship runs both ways, Amoury adds. Poor sleep can worsen mental health, and anxiety and depression can interfere with sleep. Ajay Nwosu, global sports innovator and co-founder of The Ultimate Snooze, sees the same loop. “Poor sleep and mental health affect each other. Anxiety, depression, and stress can disrupt sleep, while chronic poor sleep can make emotional regulation, stress tolerance, and mental resilience worse. The relationship is a feedback loop,” he explains.
Most of us know it from experience. A rough night makes the next day harder, and a stressful day makes the next night harder. When poor sleep persists, regulating emotions and coping with stress gets tougher, and the cycle can be difficult to break.
Sleep Shows Up On Your Face And Skin
Newer research supports the idea of beauty sleep. A 2026 study in the journal Sleep Research tracked skin after one night of acute sleep deprivation, then followed a 14-day recovery period, and found the effects on skin condition could not be fully recovered. A 2025 review of what researchers call the sleep-skin axis concluded that disrupted or insufficient sleep can compromise the skin barrier and impair collagen production, cellular repair and wound healing. The effects also show in how old we look. So, what can we do to maximize our looks and mental health with something that is a basic human necessity?
Sleep Quality Matters More Than Hours in Bed
Seven or eight hours in bed doesn’t automatically mean good sleep, because it’s quality that counts. Someone with OSA, for example, might notice loud snoring, pauses in breathing and poor concentration. Tools that reveal your sleep makeup can help.
The Oura ring is one example of a tech tool. While it tracks several factors, including sleep, and metrics such as HRV, resting heart rate and sleep timing, it can offer clues about stress, mood and anxiety. Heli Koskimaki, Senior Director, Future Physiology at Oura, says, “The oura ring data is helping us see what that looks like physiologically. We look at multiple physiological signals together to understand how the body responds to stress and recovers.”
She points to a 2026 study of 1,290 adults. People reporting more anxiety and depression symptoms tended to have less deep and REM sleep, a higher sleeping heart rate and lower HRV. It shows an association, not cause and effect, but it suggests that how we feel can show up in the body. “Sleep duration, continuity, timing and regularity help build a broader picture of sleep health. Oura’s signals are most meaningful when viewed together, tracked against an individual’s baseline and considered alongside how they feel, helping members recognize patterns and make informed choices to support their well-being,” she adds.
According to Koskimaki, the ring can show members patterns they might otherwise miss, such as a late coffee, a drink close to bedtime or a stretch of irregular nights. Tracking trends over time helps people connect daily habits with how they feel. There is a name for getting stressed about your sleep data: orthosomnia. Koskimaki doesn’t want the ring to add to anyone’s stress. “We take orthosomnia seriously, because the point of Oura is to help you understand your body, not to give you one more thing to worry about. My advice is to zoom out. One night’s score is a data point, not a judgment, and recovery isn’t a straight line,” she says. The goal is progress over perfection and feeling more in tune with your body.
Better Sleep Can Start With A Good Mattress
If wearable technology isn’t for you, one basic way to sleep well consistently is a mattress that doesn’t fail. Most of us choose a mattress for how it looks in the bedroom and for its size, but the materials and performance are what matter. The Ultimate Snooze, a US-based brand launching in Australia and the UK, treats sleep as the first inning of wellness and longevity. The brand was built by human biologist Gary Brecka, mattress industry veteran Matt Smith and Nwosu around what happens during sleep: cellular repair, inflammation regulation and nervous system recovery.
The materials are the point. The three-model line is made with organic cotton, organic wool and natural latex, with no chemical components such as polyurethane foam. The wool provides natural temperature regulation, the materials are GOTS- and GOLS-certified, and the construction is low in VOCs. The brand is also introducing its own proprietary latex, aimed at better elasticity, buoyancy and composition. Most mattresses get replaced about every 10 years, and this one comes with a 30-year warranty.
Each mattress has a built-in pocket for the upcoming SnoozeSense sensor, which will monitor respiratory rate, sleep cycles and heart rate patterns. That is the same kind of information a wearable tracks, without strapping anything to your finger. Nwosu says the sleep environment is central. “Sleep is not the absence of performance, but where performance is built. The sleep environment matters because the brain responds to light, noise, temperature, comfort, and routine. Improving those factors can support better sleep and reduce unnecessary disruption.” The brand’s rallying cry is “let’s get to sleep.” A good mattress improves how restorative sleep is, which affects our mental performance, our brain health and, of course, our external appearance.
Sleep Support Isn’t One Size Fits All
There are solutions at every level, and speaking to a sleep expert or mental health professional is the best first step. Supplements can also play a role, working on more than falling asleep by calming the mind, supporting the nervous system and helping the body unwind.
JSHealth Vitamins’ Advanced Sleep+ Powder is a melatonin-free, multi-action formula designed to support those pathways for deep, restorative rest without next-day grogginess. Adults mix one level scoop (4 g) into water once daily, about 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime, as part of an evening ritual.
“Sleep and mental health share a profound, two-way relationship. When we’re stressed or emotionally overwhelmed, falling asleep and staying asleep can become more difficult. This is why supporting sleep quality is such an important part of a holistic approach to mental well-being,” says Jess Sepel, founder of JSHealth Vitamins. Organic Traditions’ ashwagandha root powder is another option. It is an adaptogenic root traditionally used in Ayurveda to support stress relief, mood balance and restful sleep.
Whether you prefer tech, a better mattress, unplugging before bed, a firm pillow, a sleep mask or supplements, there is value in the ritual and the consistency. Build a steady wind-down routine, and remember that sleep touches every part of our lives, including our mental health.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/poojashah/2026/10/31/why-sleep-shapes-your-mental-health-skin-and-mood/
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