Sleep hygiene is without question one of the most important factors in our mental health, but in our fast paced society, it is often overlooked. When we aren’t sleeping well, not only are we losing the ability to function at our highest capacity, but it affects our physical health as well. Additionally, many mental health disorders such as bipolar and depression can be exacerbated by sleep issues. Here are a few tips to help you get your best night’s rest:
Tip 1: Shut Off the Screens
While you may have heard of melatonin as a supplement, it is actually a hormone that is naturally released in our brain. When released, it allows the body to relax and begin to feel sleepy. Light emitted from the screens of our devices (phones, computers, TV’s, tablets, etc.) prevents this hormone from being released in our brain, so if we’re looking at these screens before bed our brain is delaying the release of Melatonin and tricking us into feeling energized, even if we’ve shut off the bedside lamp.
Turning off or putting down these devices at least a half hour before you hope to fall asleep is recommended to let our brain naturally help us fall asleep.
Tip 2: Don’t Toss & Turn
We all know the feeling: having every intention of laying down for a good snooze, but just getting stuck wrapped up in our thoughts or stressing out about tomorrow, and tossing and turning for hours.
If you cannot fall asleep within 30 minutes, one trick is to get out of bed and go to another room. Do something relaxing like stretching, reading a book, or meditating, then try again. We’ve all had that dread of counting down the hours until we need to be awake. When that sort of panicked feeling occurs, we can actually release adrenaline (fight or flight) hormones that make us less likely to be able to fall asleep. Getting out of bed is a way to reset, to avoid panic, and in doing so helps you to feel sleepy.
Tip 3: Limit Caffeine During the Day
While this may seem obvious, it can be challenging to manage caffeine intake. Many people also live under the assumption that caffeine doesn’t affect them to a significant enough degree to affect their sleep. While people can develop a high tolerance for caffeine, it still has an impact on our brain even if we don’t feel energized by it. It is recommended to have a noon cut off time for caffeine, which will give your body plenty of time to process the caffeine before you’re ready for sleep. If you find it hard to avoid your 2pm pick-me-up coffee, try having a green tea instead (not matcha) which has a much smaller amount of caffeine.
Tip 4: Get Exercise During the Day
While our schedules don’t always make it easy, even 20 minutes of brisk walking daily can make a big difference in our ability to be tired at night. Exercise releases neurochemicals in our brain that are beneficial for decreasing depression and anxiety, and can help us feel more relaxed. If doing cardio isn’t available, yoga or stretching can be a good alternative to get the body moving and release helpful neurochemicals. Also, we recommended exercising earlier in the day if possible. When we workout in the evening or before bed, it tends to energize us and make falling asleep more difficult.
Tip 5: Designate your Sleep Space
We are creatures of habit and when we watch 3 Netflix shows in bed every night, we are actually training our brain that bed equals excitement. When we do this, our brain automatically associates the bed with the exciting stimulus of watching TV. Therefore, if we decide to turn in early one night, we might have a tough time falling asleep. I recommend limiting other activities such as working/studying and entertainment. Therefore, when you see your cozy bed, your brain will respond accordingly and you will begin to feel ready for sleep.
Tip 6: Establish a Bedtime Routine
Much like discussed in the tip above, it is important to train our brain so that we can be ready to drift to sleep. Sometimes people either have no routine or have maladaptive ones such as falling asleep on the couch and stumbling to bed at 2am. Ideally, we want to have a ritual that prepares us for sleep that we follow pretty regularly. This could include brushing your teeth, washing your face, getting your night clothes on, reading a book in bed for 20 minutes. Additionally, starting your bedtime routine at about the same time every night is also a great way to train your brain and be ready for sleep.
Take Baby Steps
With every change we make it’s extremely important to be gentle with ourselves in the process of change. We might not be able to incorporate all of these tips overnight. It may take baby steps towards changing, and that’s okay. The hope is that with each positive change, you will gain momentum in achieving your healthy sleep hygiene goals.
Women’s Integrative Counseling of North Carolina
If you find sleep problematic, our therapist Lauren Rodgers is a Certified Mental Health Integrative Medicine Provider (CMHIMP). She can help you explore your sleep problems and identify a plan of action that may include herbal supplements and behavioral changes so you can get the rest you need!