You know sleep is crucial for your well-being. But did you know that it can affect your mental health, too? Getting enough sleep can impact all areas of your life. Catching up on your rest is a step in the right direction no matter what other stresses life gives you.
Here are the best ways to improve your sleep so that you can boost your mental health, courtesy of therapist and author Sharon Fitzmaurice.
Set a Bedtime for Yourself
Most adults think about bedtimes as sleep rules for children. But Science Daily confirms that bedtimes are also beneficial for grownups. The less consistent your sleep habits, the higher your health risks—increasing your chances of high blood sugar, heart attack, stroke, and other health issues. Irregular sleep is the problem—even if you get adequate hours each night.
Experts recommend setting a schedule and sticking with it—even variations of 10 minutes in sleep and wake times seemed to affect people’s health in relevant studies. You should also skip sleeping in on weekends. What are the benefits, apart from your metabolic and other physical health? Research showed that people with irregular sleep schedules were more likely to feel depressed or under a lot of stress. In short, consistent bedtimes make for better mental health outcomes.
Change Your Sleep Environment
Your bedroom should be an oasis for relaxation. Fortunately, incorporating positivity and relaxing elements into your room is easy. Do some decluttering and be sure to avoid interacting with anything potentially negative, like your work or social media, in the bedroom. Also, think about simple tricks like making your room darker or adding some background noise to keep you relaxed.
It’s important to understand that light cues your body that it’s time to wake up, making light-blocking curtains an excellent investment. Per the Cleveland Clinic, pink noise “enhances brain activity that’s associated with… deep sleep.” In short, relaxing music might help you sleep better, even if a fan or static sounds keep you awake.
Other small changes to your sleep environment, such as adjusting the room’s ambient temperature, can also help you catch higher-quality Z’s. The recommended sleep temperature is between 16-18°C (60-65°F). Higher or lower temperature settings can cause you to sleep restlessly. Instead, aim for a cave-like feeling in your room—colder temps included.
You should also monitor your bedroom’s humidity levels because high humidity can bring an increase in mold and dust mites which may make sleeping more difficult. If your bedroom’s humidity level routinely rises over 50 percent, you can use a dehumidifier to lower the amount of moisture.
Avoid Too Much Tech
Although using your smartphone for pink or white noise while you sleep offers benefits, technology also threatens both natural circadian rhythms and overall mental health. Artificial light from smartphones, tablets, and TVs can mess up your body’s melatonin production (the stuff that makes you sleepy). It can also distract you from a proper bedtime.
To preserve your sleep quality, aim to cut technology out of your bedtime routine as much as possible. Put your devices away at least two hours before you plan to go to sleep for the best results. Of course, setting your music or white noise app requires smartphone usage. Keep it minimal and opt for an e-reader sans blue light or an old-fashioned paperback book for pre-sleep entertainment instead.
Take Advantage of Daylight
Those “wake signals” that natural light provides might be a problem when you’re trying to sleep. But during the day, you should take advantage of the sun’s rays. It seems exposure to sunlight can boost your serotonin levels—the hormone that helps you feel happier. People who spend more time in the sun have lower risks of depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), too.
Of course, getting outside also helps you burn energy—preparing you for a deeper and more refreshing night’s sleep. Whenever possible, enjoy sunlight—safely—in nature for even more mental health benefits. A scientific report from Nature.com confirms that spending time in nature correlates with better mental health and well-being. Around 120 minutes in nature each week is ideal—and even more beneficial with sunlight.
Improving your sleep helps restore the brain’s ability to process events and emotions, effectively “cleaning” it so you’re fresh for the next day. In this way, you can help restore a bit of peace in a stressful life—enhancing your mental health in the process.
Looking for more information on how to improve your quality of life? Connect with therapist and author Sharon Fitzmaurice.
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