Health and Safety · Health and Wellbeing · Mental Health
Setting yourself up for a great night sleep.
Sleep disturbances can be a vicious cycle for those with mental health problems. Mental health issues affect sleep and poor sleep impacts mental health…..and repeat. There are occasions when medical issues can be responsible, so a GP may need to be involved, but for a lot of people taking simple steps to establish a healthy sleep routine can make a real difference.
Know the value of sleep
Sleep is one of only four things that are essential to life. We need oxygen to breathe, food to be nourished, water to be hydrated and sleep in order to function.
The role of sleep is to repair and renew body tissue, for our growth, control of infection, to help us learn and consolidate memories and to keep our emotions regulated. Healthy and effective sleep can help increase energy levels, improve concentration, improve ability to cope with symptoms of poor mental health, and general mood.
Make sleep your priority
Now that we know how important sleep is, we need to prioritise it by making the decision to put sleep above other things. That may be by setting boundaries on your time to safeguard your sleep, or taking an opportunity to sleep when you have the chance.
Make your sleep routine work for you
We are all different, we all need different amounts of sleep so try to understand what you as an individual need to function well. This may involve experimenting with different bedtimes and keeping a track of how you feel to notice what works for you. At the end of this guide is a template to help you keep track, it can take a couple of weeks for your body to adjust so try to keep at it even if you don’t get instant results.
Cherish your sleep
There are many things that we do that can put our sleep at risk. Ideally, we need to recognise this and avoid these activities.
Things that can negatively impact on sleep
- Using screens with bright lights before bed
- Drinking Caffeine after 6pm
- Smoking cigarettes after 6pm
- Drinking alcohol before bed
- Having naps during the day
- Sleeping in places other than bed
There are also things we can do that set us up for a great sleep.
- Warm drink before bed
- Creating a pre bed routine
- Getting the right environment (comfy bed and pillows, dark room, right temperature)
- Regular exercise
- Relaxing warm bath
- Getting plenty of sunlight during the day
- Having a regular wake up and bed time
Download the attached resource to track your sleep patterns.
