Sleep and Mental Health
Sleep is vital for health – It’s just as important as breathing, eating and drinking water.
Getting the right quality and quantity of sleep can benefit both your mental and physical health.
During sleep your body works to support your brain function as well as growth, development and repair. Your mood, concentration, energy levels, decision making skill, memory and creativity can all benefit from a good night sleep.
Lack of sleep has the opposite effect. Long term it can contribute to chronic disease such as heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and mental health illnesses.
Poor sleep and depression are very closely linked. Research shows that 60-90% of patients with depression also have insomnia.
It can be a bit of a chicken and egg situation – what come first? Mental health can contribute to poor sleep and poor sleep can contribute to mental health. The driving factors are different for each person however improving the quality of sleep for any individual will benefit their mental health.
The good news is, there are so many ways we can improve sleep. The first step is to priorities it! Set a bedtime and stick to it! Work, Netflix and the dishes can wait! In fact you’ll be more productive the next day if you get a good night sleep!
If you have trouble getting to sleep create a night time routine – Dinner, bath, bed. Keep lights low once the sun goes down as bright lights can disrupt the production of the hormones we need to get to sleep. Avoid screens for this reason also. If you MUST use them, switch to night time mode or invest in blue light blocker glasses.
There are also things you can do during the day to support your sleep. Getting sunshine on your skin can help regulate hormones and sleep patterns. Melatonin is produced in the skin through sun exposure, which can help induce sleep later on at night. Exercise during the day is also linked to better quality of sleep.
Herbal teas can help to induce sleep. Try swapping after dinner sweet treats to a nice cup of chamomile, peppermint or any sleep blend. Avoid eating or drinking anything stimulating in the late afternoon and early evening, including coffee, as this can keep you awake well past your bed time.
These are just a few tips you can try for yourself at home. If you do need additional support, seek it out. As a naturopath I can prescribe herbal medicine and nutritional supplements to support your quality and quantity of sleep. There are also options available from your doctor including medications as well as testing to rule out or confirm physical conditions such as sleep apnoea.
Start improving the quality of your sleep today by taking one of the suggestions from this post and implementing in it to you week. One small change can make all the difference.
