Sleep and Your Mental Health
- posted: Sep. 28, 2023
WE NEED SLEEP. Sleep is connected to our feeling of well-being and if we don’t get enough good quality sleep we can experience an exacerbation of mental health symptoms or find it harder to cope with them. Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety can both be harder to manage if we are not able to get adequate rest.
We undervalue sleep. Like many aspects of health and well being, we may find it elusive and we may not know how to prioritize it. Some people have faulty beliefs about sleep. Maybe we believe that productive people don’t need it. Maybe we believe that fun people don’t need it. And maybe, we find good restful sleep too hard to get so we don’t bother trying. We may have faulty beliefs about sleep like the idea that young people don’t need a lot of sleep or older people need less sleep.
The truth is: we all need sleep and we need to get enough of it to truly benefit.
Sleep is how our bodies and our minds recharge after the demands of modern life. Sleep is how our muscles rest. Remember our brain is a muscle. As such it needs a rest as well. Healthy sleep includes a sufficient amount of hours to go through at least 4-6 sleep cycles. An optimal cycle includes both non-rapid eye movement phases and 1 rapid eye movement or REM sleep phase. NREM is the stage of sleep considered to be the deepest but all phases of sleep are required for optimal restorative sleep. If we don’t experience a long enough stretch of uninterrupted sleep - we don’t benefit from this important state of sleep. There can be many reasons why we don;t get enough sleep.
Poor sleep hygiene can be due to many factors. Some of them include poor diet, eating too late or eating spicy or sugary foods too close to bedtime. Some people don;t have a consistent bedtime. Our bodies naturally experience rhythm associated with sleep and wake cycles. If we can’t maintain a regular schedule, we may interfere with our body's natural rhythm. Sometimes, we use substances that can interfere with our bodies natural rhythm. These can be things we enjoy, things we need or things we misuse.
Things we enjoy - coffee, sweets, fine wine.
Things we need - certain medications can interfere with our body's rhythm. It’s important to speak with your healthcare provider if you notice changes in sleep such as your ability to wind down at night or your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep as your physician may make adjustments to your medications so that you gain the benefit without experiencing side effects such as interference with sleep.
Things we misuse - this can include legal and illegal substances. Alcohol and caffeine both have the ability to interfere with our normal sleep rhythms. Mind altering substances (including those that are legal like Marijuana in many states) can interfere with normal sleep rhythm.
It's important to note that there are many things we have come to associate with relaxation - substances we use to ‘relax’. They can provide temporary relaxation in an awake state, but they can have a negative impact on the brain's ability to enter and benefit from restorative sleep states.
Certainly we live in a world full of distractions. Many aspects of modern life are in stark contrast with the relaxed state required to fall asleep easily and stay asleep for a sufficient number of hours. The frenzied pace of our day to day lives. Rushing is normal - we rush in the morning, we rush to school or work. This rushing around may include feeling stressed about getting to the next thing. Stress for most of us includes the body’s production of cortisol - the stress hormone. Too much cortisol can impair the body’s many systems from working effectively - metabolism, immunity and sleep can all be affected by regular increases in cortisol.
Our addictions to our devices and screens play a huge role in our inability to relax and get restful sleep. We are constantly responding to our devices in ways that can be escalating, stressful or even depressing. We experience FOMO. wE believe that what we are seeing is an accurate representation of how everyone else is living. WE believe that everyone's houses, kids, food and just about everything else they have and do is fabulous and we invariably compare this to our own harried, regular lives and we can feel terrible about ourselves and our circumstances.
Lack of sufficient, uninterrupted, quality sleep is very connected to our mental health. Poor sleep can contribute to malaise, grumpiness or irritability. We can tend to be impatient, have difficulty completing tasks, or feel short tempered. People who don’t get adequate sleep can find it difficult to manage emotional struggles. Our coping skills may not be readily available to us because poor sleep can make it hard to problem solve or think clearly. If we are struggling with a mental health condition it is even harder to manage the associated difficult symptoms if we suffer from insomnia. If we are suffering from symptoms of anxiety or depression we can be preoccupied with distressing thoughts and we can experience intrusive thoughts that prevent us from falling asleep or wake us in the middle of the night making it hard to get back to sleep. Lack of sleep can make it harder to cope with symptoms of a mental health disorder.
Sleep hygiene refers to the habits, rituals and to a certain extent where we sleep which all contribute to optimal, restorative sleep. Good sleep hygiene suggests that we maintain a regular sleep schedule, trying to go to sleep and awaken at about the same time each day, including weekends and holidays. Creating a ritual of “Winding Down” in the evening to prepare for sleep. This can include not eating heavy food or consuming caffeine or alcohol after a certain time. This can also include reducing exposure to things that are stimulating, like devices or loud music or even TV or media that are agitating or overly exciting. We may spend time preparing for sleep in a more dimly lit space. It can also be helpful to make sure we are not too hot as we prepare for sleep as both darkness and cooler temperatures signal to the brain that it’s time to sleep. Where you sleep is also very important. Having a comfortable and soothing space can be helpful. Using your bed for sleep and sex and not much else is important. If you work or eat on your bed, it can confuse your body about what you’re actually there for. Some people also benefit from making sure their sleep space is relaxing and uncluttered. Others benefit from pleasant bedding and comfy pajamas. Making sure your sleep space is dark, or using a sleep mask can also help. Individuals finding it hard to relax in the evening can benefit from utilizing relaxation techniques, listening to soft new age music, practicing mindfulness, taking a warm bath or trying aromatherapy.
Whatever it is that you find useful, keep in mind that when you experience more restful sleep, you will generally feel better in your waking hours. Don’t give up as it can take time to find the rituals and habits that work for you.
You deserve a good night’s sleep!
- posted: Sep. 28, 2023
WE NEED SLEEP. Sleep is connected to our feeling of well-being and if we don’t get enough good quality sleep we can experience an exacerbation of mental health symptoms or find it harder to cope with them. Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety can both be harder to manage if we are not able to get adequate rest.
We undervalue sleep. Like many aspects of health and well being, we may find it elusive and we may not know how to prioritize it. Some people have faulty beliefs about sleep. Maybe we believe that productive people don’t need it. Maybe we believe that fun people don’t need it. And maybe, we find good restful sleep too hard to get so we don’t bother trying. We may have faulty beliefs about sleep like the idea that young people don’t need a lot of sleep or older people need less sleep.
The truth is: we all need sleep and we need to get enough of it to truly benefit.
Sleep is how our bodies and our minds recharge after the demands of modern life. Sleep is how our muscles rest. Remember our brain is a muscle. As such it needs a rest as well. Healthy sleep includes a sufficient amount of hours to go through at least 4-6 sleep cycles. An optimal cycle includes both non-rapid eye movement phases and 1 rapid eye movement or REM sleep phase. NREM is the stage of sleep considered to be the deepest but all phases of sleep are required for optimal restorative sleep. If we don’t experience a long enough stretch of uninterrupted sleep - we don’t benefit from this important state of sleep. There can be many reasons why we don;t get enough sleep.
Poor sleep hygiene can be due to many factors. Some of them include poor diet, eating too late or eating spicy or sugary foods too close to bedtime. Some people don;t have a consistent bedtime. Our bodies naturally experience rhythm associated with sleep and wake cycles. If we can’t maintain a regular schedule, we may interfere with our body's natural rhythm. Sometimes, we use substances that can interfere with our bodies natural rhythm. These can be things we enjoy, things we need or things we misuse.
Things we enjoy - coffee, sweets, fine wine.
Things we need - certain medications can interfere with our body's rhythm. It’s important to speak with your healthcare provider if you notice changes in sleep such as your ability to wind down at night or your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep as your physician may make adjustments to your medications so that you gain the benefit without experiencing side effects such as interference with sleep.
Things we misuse - this can include legal and illegal substances. Alcohol and caffeine both have the ability to interfere with our normal sleep rhythms. Mind altering substances (including those that are legal like Marijuana in many states) can interfere with normal sleep rhythm.
It's important to note that there are many things we have come to associate with relaxation - substances we use to ‘relax’. They can provide temporary relaxation in an awake state, but they can have a negative impact on the brain's ability to enter and benefit from restorative sleep states.
Certainly we live in a world full of distractions. Many aspects of modern life are in stark contrast with the relaxed state required to fall asleep easily and stay asleep for a sufficient number of hours. The frenzied pace of our day to day lives. Rushing is normal - we rush in the morning, we rush to school or work. This rushing around may include feeling stressed about getting to the next thing. Stress for most of us includes the body’s production of cortisol - the stress hormone. Too much cortisol can impair the body’s many systems from working effectively - metabolism, immunity and sleep can all be affected by regular increases in cortisol.
Our addictions to our devices and screens play a huge role in our inability to relax and get restful sleep. We are constantly responding to our devices in ways that can be escalating, stressful or even depressing. We experience FOMO. wE believe that what we are seeing is an accurate representation of how everyone else is living. WE believe that everyone's houses, kids, food and just about everything else they have and do is fabulous and we invariably compare this to our own harried, regular lives and we can feel terrible about ourselves and our circumstances.
Lack of sufficient, uninterrupted, quality sleep is very connected to our mental health. Poor sleep can contribute to malaise, grumpiness or irritability. We can tend to be impatient, have difficulty completing tasks, or feel short tempered. People who don’t get adequate sleep can find it difficult to manage emotional struggles. Our coping skills may not be readily available to us because poor sleep can make it hard to problem solve or think clearly. If we are struggling with a mental health condition it is even harder to manage the associated difficult symptoms if we suffer from insomnia. If we are suffering from symptoms of anxiety or depression we can be preoccupied with distressing thoughts and we can experience intrusive thoughts that prevent us from falling asleep or wake us in the middle of the night making it hard to get back to sleep. Lack of sleep can make it harder to cope with symptoms of a mental health disorder.
Sleep hygiene refers to the habits, rituals and to a certain extent where we sleep which all contribute to optimal, restorative sleep. Good sleep hygiene suggests that we maintain a regular sleep schedule, trying to go to sleep and awaken at about the same time each day, including weekends and holidays. Creating a ritual of “Winding Down” in the evening to prepare for sleep. This can include not eating heavy food or consuming caffeine or alcohol after a certain time. This can also include reducing exposure to things that are stimulating, like devices or loud music or even TV or media that are agitating or overly exciting. We may spend time preparing for sleep in a more dimly lit space. It can also be helpful to make sure we are not too hot as we prepare for sleep as both darkness and cooler temperatures signal to the brain that it’s time to sleep. Where you sleep is also very important. Having a comfortable and soothing space can be helpful. Using your bed for sleep and sex and not much else is important. If you work or eat on your bed, it can confuse your body about what you’re actually there for. Some people also benefit from making sure their sleep space is relaxing and uncluttered. Others benefit from pleasant bedding and comfy pajamas. Making sure your sleep space is dark, or using a sleep mask can also help. Individuals finding it hard to relax in the evening can benefit from utilizing relaxation techniques, listening to soft new age music, practicing mindfulness, taking a warm bath or trying aromatherapy.
Whatever it is that you find useful, keep in mind that when you experience more restful sleep, you will generally feel better in your waking hours. Don’t give up as it can take time to find the rituals and habits that work for you.
You deserve a good night’s sleep!
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