Optimizing your mental health through positive sleep hygiene
Optimizing your mental health through positive sleep hygiene
Getting better sleep is one of the most powerful tools to improve overall mental health. However, sleep problems are extremely common and almost every adult will experience sleep difficulties at some point in their lifetime. Experiencing challenges with sleep can negatively impact attention, mood, hunger, stress and more. The result of these compounding symptoms due to poor sleep can lead to concerns including relationship difficulties, job challenges, weight issues, and even depression and anxiety. Since positive sleep hygiene is so vital to both physical and mental health, it is important to understand how to improve sleeping patterns.
Optimizing sleep hygiene can be done in a variety of different ways but the positive benefits can be gained from each. The research suggests these strategies to improve sleep and gain the necessary benefits. Finding a bedtime routine, viewing sunlight in the mornings and evenings, and increasing quality and quantity of sleep are all ways we can improve sleep and feel better.
Finding and engaging in a consistent routine at bedtime is the first change to make to have the greatest impact on sleep and mood. Give your body cues it is time to sleep by completing a ritual each night for bed. This can include but is not limited to taking a bath or shower, brushing teeth, reading a book, making a cup of caffeine free tea, listening to soft music, and more. Additionally, going to sleep and waking up at the same time, even on weekends, is incredibly important to set a bodily routine and improve circadian rhythm. Positive benefits of a more consistent routine and a healthier circadian rhythm can include how awake and alert someone feels in the morning and energy and hunger levels throughout the day.
Second, making a point to view sunlight in the mornings and evenings each day helps improve overall wakefulness throughout the day as well as sleep at night. Stepping outside in sunlight for 5 to 20 minutes each day helps to regulate your sleep wake cycles. Research shows that viewing sunlight in this way can improve mood, ability to learn, stress, hormone levels, appetite, and overall mental health.
Finally, good sleep can be defined by both quality and quantity. Dr. Matthew Walker developed the QQRT (Quantity, Quality, Regularity, and Timing) model of sleep. He outlines what is needed to improve sleep in an easy to follow acronym. The quantity of sleep is indicated by getting a range of 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Quality of sleep is noted by the most efficient time in bed by limiting naps during the day and interruptions when going to sleep at night. Regularity means keeping bedtimes within 30 to 40 minutes of each other every day. And finally, timing stands for finding sleep schedules that match your preferences and lifestyle, which can even include third shift workers having good and healthy sleep by following these guidelines.
Individuals have sought counseling for years to discuss symptoms and challenges that can be linked to sleep difficulties. By discussing honestly with a trained provider, the link between current behaviors and their impact on functioning, a more direct approach to change and overall improvements can be made. Therapists can help clients work through resistance and identify areas to optimize sleep hygiene and improve overall physical and mental health.
At Lexington Counseling and Psychiatry, we help our clients with these presenting concerns. Our team of professionals can help you work to address symptoms of depression, anxiety, and understanding sleep difficulties that affect your lives and the lives of people you love and care about here in Central Kentucky. If you feel like you need behavioral health help, please call our office in Lexington, KY at 859-338-0466. We provide counseling and therapy, including psychiatric assessment and medication management in Lexington, Richmond, and Frankfort, KY. Contact us today for help. Our professionals are experts on this topic.
Articles and resources:
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(16)31522-6
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/php.12642
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2113290119
https://www.hubermanlab.com/essentials
