A good night’s sleep can make a world of difference! Poor sleep can have a negative impact on mental health. We know, for instance, that mothers of infants with sleep issues are at higher risk of post-natal depression. Inadequate or poor sleep can have other negative health consequences such an increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Sleep, and good quality sleep, can be hard to come by for many patients. Stress can very easily affect sleep quality – I know when I am stressed, or worried sleep is harder to come by; I can lie in bed ruminating on whatever is worrying me at the time. I am not alone – my patients will often share that they have trouble either falling asleep or with frequent waking in the night due to worry. In patients with anxiety and/or depression sleep can be significantly impacted either with trouble falling asleep or staying asleep – this is something I commonly help my patients with because I know that improving sleep quality can significantly help with underlying mood disorder.
Sleep hygiene is all about getting the body and brain ready for sleep and here are the key things I prescribe my patients – I promise you I write this script several times a week and I implement it myself often:
- Avoid caffeine after 2PM – caffeine stimulates the brain so avoiding intake in the afternoon can help the brain relax at night
- Try and get some form of exercise in the daytime, ideally in natural sunlight. Getting sunlight exposure can help regulate circadian rhythms – the brain gets used to light in the day and when it is dark at night learns to wind down. Exercise on its own can help with stress and anxiety management and so I prescribe a walk/swim or cycle to patients for many reasons.
- Avoid any screen exposure in the 1 hour before bed – this includes phones, TV, computers. This is a tricky one for lots of my patients. When I write this one down, I’m often met with a “are you serious?” or a loud sigh like I’m asking for the world. I get it – we are heavily reliant and entwined with our devices. Many will admit they like to scroll through social media feeds to relax before bed – I understand but it isn’t great for the brain and there are other, better, ways to wind down. Blue light exposure blocks the brains ability to generate melatonin – this is the hormone that promotes sleep! No blue light means hopefully more melatonin in the brain and a better night’s sleep!
- Try and keep to a regular bedtime and wake up time – it helps!
- Commit to a regular wind down ritual 1 hour before bed. This is all about training the brain to prepare for sleep. If you are struggling try implementing a ritual in the 1 hour before bed (maybe a warm bath, reading in dim light or a warm shower then some colouring or crosswords) and stick to it. For my patients struggling with sleep issues, I ask them to become a toddler with a very set routine as it helps the body and brain prepare for sleep!
- Do not clock watch – if you are struggling with sleep remove the clocks in the room and stop looking at it constantly. Often sleep strugglers with constantly check the time- panicking as the minutes and hours tick by. The panic makes it harder for the brain to relax and sleep to come!
Good luck!