Prioritize Sleep or Else! It’s Vital for Thriving!

It’s common knowledge that lack of sleep affects your health. You start having issues with memory & concentration, your immune system weakens, your risk for diabetes & high blood pressure increases, & you’re more susceptible to gaining weight. But did you know that sleep deprivation impacts your mental health as well?

Mental Health & Sleep

     The most common way that sleep deprivation affects your mental health is through showing signs of depression, anxiety, & psychological distress (Columbia Psychology, 2022). Lack of sleep is linked to moodiness & negative responses to stress. I can attest to that because when we first got Max, he was up having to use the bathroom every couple of hours like a newborn baby. Boy was my attitude on rude! I was getting on my own nerves some days! And I can say on the days following nights that I don’t get good, uninterrupted sleep, I’m less tolerant. Oscar the Grouch is definitely in the house!

     Insomnia is one of the symptoms of depression & anxiety, but it can also increase your risk for developing those mental health disorders. These are two important reasons to take sleeping more seriously. Far too many of us say we’ll sleep when we’re dead, but we don’t realize that not sleeping could push us closer to that time. Our bodies need sleep to recover & function at our maximum abilities, so we have to prioritize it more.

Improving Sleep Hygiene

     There’s a science to sleep hygiene. It’s more than just putting head to pillow & closing your eyes. It’s best that you develop a routine of setting the mood. Check these tips out:

• Go Groundhog’s Day! Turn in for the night & rise & shine at the same time 7 days a week. The routine gives you enough rest every day so you can be your best self.
• Get rid of the noise! Make sure your bedroom is quiet. Background noise will only keep your brain going when you need to be relaxing.
• Set the mood! Turn the lights off, make sure the room is a comfortable temperature, & make your bedroom as relaxing as possible. You can’t turn down if the room screams turn up.
• Make it a distraction-free zone! Ban electronic devices from the bedroom. The blue light keeps your brain awake, so nix them when it’s time for bed. If you must keep your phone with you, set it on DND 1-2 hours before bedtime & leave it out of arm’s reach so you’re not tempted to be on it.
• Watch what you eat & drink! Don’t pig out or drink caffeine or alcohol 4-6 hours before bed. Give them time to get out of your system so you can be comfortable & not wound up. 
• Move that body! Getting in a good workout during the day can help you sleep better at night. Just don’t exercise too close to bedtime, or your adrenaline will still be high. Give it at least 90 minutes. That’s enough time to shower & relax before turning in for the night.
• Minimize naps & lounging! Get out of bed after you wake up. Lounging will disrupt your routine. Also, keep naps short if you have to take one. You want to be able to fall asleep when it’s bedtime.

     A good sleep routine can be hard to master. Last year, I consistently did 15-30 minutes of wind down yoga, journaled, meditated, & went to bed. I was in true zen mode the majority of year. My routine has fallen off lately for various reasons, but I can tell the difference in my attitude, mood stability, & anxiety since I stopped. It’s clear I need to take my sleep hygiene more seriously again. Soon, I suppose…

     There’s room for all of us to improve, so why not start by making sure one of the ways you recharge is on point? If you need more info on tips to improve your sleep routine, check out some of these links. There’s a wealth of info to help!

https://www.choosept.com/health-tips/10-habits-better-sleep

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/healthy-sleep-tips

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/26/health/sleep-hygiene-tips-wellness/index.html