SWEET DREAMS: How to Support your Mental Health by Prioritizing Sleep
Healthy sleep lays a foundation for strong mental health and a resilient and productive life. The danger of neglecting your need for enough quality sleep can have catastrophic consequences. Here are some staggering statistics from Johns Hopkins sleep researcher Dr. Patrick Finan:
-As many as 6000 car crashes are caused by drowsiness each year.
-You are 3 times more likely to catch a cold if you get less than 5 hours of sleep a night.
-Sleep deprivation can age your brain 3-5 years
-Sleep deprivation can also be linked to serious health issues like dementia, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and cancer of the breast, colon, ovaries and prostate.
If we desire to live a healthy, robust life, sleep is one of the most productive things we can possibly do. And yet, as our schedules become more and more full of activity, we can easily put sleep on the back burner. Sleep hygiene is something I talk with clients about regularly and here are some of the tips I offer them to help support a healthy rhythm of sleep and rest:
Be consistent! Set a schedule for when you wake up and go to sleep each day and do your best to stick to it. Just like practice makes perfect, consistent sleep habits make it easier for your brain and body to know when its time to power down and lock in your circadian rhythms.
Create a bedtime ritual. Just like you need to be consistent about the time you wake up and go to bed, it is helpful to create a simple bedtime ritual that you do each night in the same way. This can be brushing your teeth, washing your face, praying, reading, or listening to soft music. Again, the more consistent you are in cultivating this rhythm of winding down before bed, the more it will help you fall asleep faster.
Make it cozy. Be sure to make your bed in the morning so that it is an inviting and tidy space for you to end your day. Keep your room cool and make sure bed linens and pillows are soft, clean, and comfortable.
Turn off the screens one hour before bed. Yes, all of the screens. Your television, phone and ipad emit a blue light that sends a signal to your brain that it is time to be awake and productive. By giving yourself some space between those blue light waves and sweet dreams, create a pre-bed ritual that’s delightfully old fashioned: read a book (or even a magazine!).
Brain dump! **This is a big one for those who struggle with ADHD or anxiety.** If you struggle to wind down mentally at the end of a busy day, spend a few minutes during your bedtime ritual writing down two lists: one list should be of things you need to do and another of recurrent worrisome thoughts you’re having. No, writing these things down will not “remind” you of them. If our head hits the pillow for sleep and that is the first time we have had peace and quiet all day, our brain might think this is a great time to remind us about the fact that we need to get cookies for our daughter’s class and figure out why the dishwasher keeps making that weird noise. The purpose of the brain dump is to send a message to your brain that “you got this” and you have a plan to address these things tomorrow. By externalizing repeated worrisome thoughts or tasks that need to be completed, you are telling your brain it can stand down and let you rest.
Eat healthy, whole foods and avoid sugar before bed. Avoid foods that typically cause indigestion at dinner and as much as possible, eat real nutritious foods in their whole form.
Exercise regularly! The relationship between good sleep and regular exercise has been studied and proven over and over again. Regularly getting 30 minutes of moderate exercise has been shown to improve sleep and decrease generalized anxiety.
Limit caffeine and cut yourself off from caffeine around 6 hours before you want to go to bed. Caffeine stays in your system for between 3 and 7 hours depending on how your body metabolizes it. Learn how much time your own body needs and make sure to avoid caffeine after that window closes.
You’re not going to like this one, but avoid alcohol as much as possible, especially in the evening. An occasional (read: special occasion) glass of wine is just fine, but relying on that glass of red to “relax” at the end of the day could be wreaking havoc on your sleep life. Alcohol acts as a depressant to our nervous system, giving us that warm, relaxed feeling we all enjoy. However, as we withdraw from the pleasant effects of alcohol, it temporarily becomes a stimulant. If you’ve had that glass of wine or beer with dinner, this withdrawal process is probably happening when you want to fall asleep. Even if the alcohol helps you to fall asleep, that same withdrawal process could disrupt your REM cycle and keep you from getting the restorative rest you really need.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-effects-of-sleep-deprivation
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/774421
