Difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, waking up earlier than desired, reluctance to go to bed at the right time: you’re not alone! These are all problems that most people have with trouble sleeping.
Sleep is very important for our mental health. Sleep problems can contribute to the onset and worsening of a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and even suicidal ideation. Many of us know that we feel better after a good night’s sleep and more moody or confused if we don’t sleep well. With insufficient sleep, we experience fatigue, impaired attention, concentration, and memory, impaired social, family, and vocational performance, altered mood or irritability, behavioral problems, decreased motivation, and propensity for mistakes and accidents. . Poor or insufficient sleep can make it difficult to manage stress and regulate emotions, increase negative emotional responses, and decrease positive emotions.
For some sleep difficulties, simply adopting a healthy sleep routine can help improve sleep. Your sleep environment and routine are important. Key points for developing good sleep hygiene include the following:
• Maintain a regular sleep schedule.
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends and holidays. This will help regulate your body’s natural clock and improve the quality of your sleep and wake time.
Avoid naps if possible. If you must take a nap, try to keep it to less than an hour and avoid napping after 3:00 pm Naps help decrease much-needed sleep debt for an easy sleep onset. Naps can cause sleep fragmentation and difficulty initiating sleep.
• Maintain a nightly and bedtime routine.
Avoid television and electronic devices like phones or tablets for an hour before your ideal bedtime.
Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing and listening to soothing music.
Take a warm shower or bath about an hour before bedtime. A hot bath will raise your body temperature and then it is the drop in body temperature that can make you sleepy.
Wait until you are sleepy before going to bed. If you’re not sleepy at your usual bedtime, try drinking decaf tea.
Prepare your mind by reducing stress, detaching yourself from electronics, avoid emotionally disturbing situations.
• Prepare your body for sleep.
Avoid caffeine after lunch as the effects of caffeine can last for several hours after consumption. Caffeine is a stimulant and can take three to seven hours to clear from the body.
Avoid alcohol within six hours of bedtime. Alcohol can create the illusion of a good night’s sleep, but it negatively affects sleep, causing fragmented sleep.
• Sleep environment.
Make sure your bedroom is quiet and comfortable for sleeping. A cooler room with enough blankets is ideal. Use curtains or a sleep mask to block out morning light.
Although sleep deprivation and insomnia can cause mental health problems, preexisting mental health problems can also cause insomnia or trouble sleeping. Anxiety is one of the main causes of interruptions in the natural cycles of sleep. Anxiety can cause racing thoughts, restlessness, an upset stomach, nausea, and even nightmares. PTSD and depression are also often the main causes of insomnia or poor sleep.
If you or a loved one is experiencing sleep problems, insomnia, depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues, please contact us at 501-622-3580.
Jennifer Reed, APRN, PMHNP-BC, Levi Transitions Outpatient Behavioral Health.
