Sleep: The Answer to Better Mental Health

Do you feel worn out, irritable, and unable to focus after a night of poor sleep? It’s not just you — our brains need sleep in order to function properly. Without enough high-quality rest, cognitive performance suffers.

The effects of poor sleep aren’t limited to the day after a sleepless night. Over time, the compounded effects of sleep deprivation can double your risk of depression, and may even increase your risk of PTSD after a traumatic experience.

The relationship between sleep and mental health flows in both directions. Not only does sleep deprivation increase your risk of developing a mental illness, but people with psychiatric conditions like anxiety and schizophrenia are also more likely to develop sleep disorders. The lack of sleep, in turn, worsens their mental health symptoms.

Whether you’re having trouble focusing at work or trying to better manage a mental illness, you can’t do it without solving your sleep problems.

Improving Bedroom Comfort

Does an achy back or the sound of traffic outside keep you from falling asleep at night? Bedroom discomfort is one of the simplest sleep problems to solve.

Shut out distracting sounds. Door sweeps, weatherstripping, heavy curtains, and area rugs are inexpensive ways to soundproof a bedroom. If noise is a major problem, consider investing in soundproof insulation and double-pane windows. On a budget, earplugs and white noise machines can be used to mask noise.

Replace aging mattresses. If it’s been years since you last replaced your mattress, odds are it’s not providing the same comfort it once did. That’s especially true if you have an innerspring mattress, which wears out faster than foam mattresses. For longer-lasting comfort, opt for a “bed-in-a-box” mattress instead of a traditional mattress. Typically made of dense, supportive foam, these mattresses last up to 15 years and fit a wide range of budgets. Purple mattresses, for example, fall in the middle of the bed-in-a-box price range at $699-$1,299, depending on size.

Establishing Better Bedtime Habits

Sometimes, people are their own worst enemy when it comes to sleep. Adopting better sleep habits — also known as sleep hygiene — is a must when battling insomnia.

Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Your body relies on external cues like light and temperature to know when it’s time for sleep and when it’s time for wakefulness. However, if you go to bed at varying times each day, your body will struggle to synchronize its internal clock with the outside world. Try going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, even on weekends, so your body’s sleep-wake cycle gets into a regular rhythm.

Avoid electronics before bed. Artificial blue light tricks your body into thinking it’s daytime. Inc. recommends avoiding electronics like smartphones and televisions for at least one hour before bed, and engaging alternative methods to wind down instead. Jot down your to-do list, talk with your partner, or read a light book.

Managing Intrusive Thoughts

For people with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other mental health conditions, it can be difficult to “shut off” intrusive thoughts and get to sleep.

Go to bed early. In addition to how much you sleep, also consider when. Science Daily notes in people with OCD, going to bed before 12:30 a.m. is associated with fewer obsessive thoughts the following day than staying up late.

Meditate. Meditation is a powerful tool for stopping obsessive thoughts and preventing negative thinking in the future by teaching you to focus on the present. Set aside 10–15 minutes to meditate before bed. Psychology Today notes that if you continue to experience intrusive thoughts once in bed, guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, or another relaxation technique can calm your mind.

Refocus your thoughts. It’s not always possible to shut thoughts off, but you can refocus them so you’re not ruminating over something negative. Instead of thinking about unfinished business or what-if scenarios at bedtime, focus your mind on positive thoughts.

For most people, minor changes to their environment and habits is enough to solve sleeplessness. However, if you’ve tried these strategies and still struggle to sleep, you may need professional help. Talk to your doctor about your sleep problems so you can start sleeping better at night and feeling better each day.

-Cheryl Conklin
wellnesscentral.info

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