Author: Isabella Adams, MSW
Good mental health isn’t something we “arrive” at – it’s something we nurture over time. In this series, we’ll explore ways to protect your well-being, strengthen your resilience, and create space for the things that truly matter.
One of the main basic needs of human beings is achieving productive sleep. Regularly achieving “a good night’s sleep” has many positive health impacts such as maintaining or strengthening the body’s cognitive functioning (memory, focus, and decision-making), enhancing the immune system, and lowering risk for other health concerns.
Sleep deficiency can cause an increased risk developing or exacerbating other health concerns, such as:
- Hypertension
- Type 2 diabetes
- Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- Obesity
- Stroke
- Mental health concerns (e.g. depression and anxiety)
Sleep hygiene refers to the environment and behaviors surrounding sleep. Good sleep hygiene promotes productive sleep and enhances overall health. Some tips to work on improving your sleep hygiene include:
- Making your bedroom your sanctuary: Adjust temperature, block out light, and increasing the comfortability of your bedding can improve sleep quality.
- Reduce alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine consumption: Alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine consumption can have detrimental effects on your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and to get high-quality sleep.
- Restrict in-bed activities: Lying in bed during the day can impact your brain’s ability to associate your bed with sleep, reducing time in bed outside of sleep can build a stronger cognitive association.
- Regularly engage in physical activity: Physical activity can increase one’s ability to stay asleep.
- Set a regular sleep schedule: Maintaining regular sleep and waking times can train your brain to better recognize when it should be awake and when it should be asleep.
- Maintain a consistent routine: Keep your nighttime routine consistent, budget time for relaxation, and unplug from electronics thirty-to-sixty minutes before bedtime.
- Practice methods of relaxation: Engage in activities that are relaxing. If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, try engaging in one of these activities to promote relaxation and to reduce awake time spent in bed.
Sleep and depression have a bidirectional relationship, meaning that each has an influence over the other. Of individuals with insomnia (sleep disturbances characterized by trouble falling/staying asleep and/or poor-quality sleep), the risk of developing depression is ten times higher than for those who do not have insomnia. For people struggling with depression, approximately seventy-five percent experience issues falling and/or staying asleep.
If you or a loved one is experiencing sleep disturbances that are persistent even with good sleep hygiene, it may be time to speak to your primary care physician for additional assistance in managing the concern.
National crisis lifeline: call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org, to connect with a counselor. Counselors are available 24/7/365 and all communication is free and confidential.
References
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23970-sleep-deprivation
