5 HELPFUL SLEEP SKILLS & HABITS
Sleep deprivation is not a foreign experience for most people. In America, one-third of adults were found to be at risk for a sleep disorder and 11% reported symptoms of insomnia. For some, difficulty sleeping is an occasional experience. For others, it is a nightly battle. Wherever you lie on this spectrum of sleep, it is a scientific fact that we all NEED sleep (and more than you think). Some of us brag about being able to function on as little as 4 or 5 hours of sleep. However, multiple studies have shown that 8-9 hours of sleep is needed for us to function at our highest cognitive capacity. It is crucial for our mental health.
We have all struggled with a horrible night of sleep. Tossing and turning, blankets on then off, socks on then off, then on again. Racing thoughts about the events of the day, the tasks of tomorrow, and the worries and cares of the future. Mental health difficulties often cause disruption to regular sleep. Furthermore, medication can often cause negative side-effects surrounding sleep. It is highly recommended that you consult your psychiatrist and/or primary care physician before changing or introducing any new medications (both in general and on account of sleep difficulties).
A caveat to the following habits and skills: these are not one-time, cure-all suggestions. Like most skills they take time to learn, refine, and master. Like any healthy habit, they must be consistently repeated. Have patience with the process and with yourself. These have been proven to help avoid unnecessary worry and stress by helping facilitate sleep.
Avoid pressuring/commanding yourself to sleep
We cannot will ourselves to sleep. Putting pressure on ourselves to do something that is impossible to do causes anxiety and frustration. When we are struggling to fall asleep, looking at the time triggers these automatic thoughts and commands on ourselves to sleep. We do the math in our head and think, “I need to fall asleep now in order to get 8 hours of sleep.” As if we wield the power over our consciousness like a light switch. These and similar thoughts feed our stress and worry. Anxiety and frustration are heightened states of being. Our body’s response to stress, anxiety, and frustration consists of physiologically triggers, natural responses, involving systems in our body that increase our alertness, energy, heartbeat, and mental state. While our bodies are in these states, sleep is nowhere in sight. To avoid these thoughts, repeat in your mind thoughts similar to these: “It is ok that I’m not sleeping right now, sleep will come when it will come” or “I do not control when I fall asleep, I control my comfort and relaxation which helps facilitate sleep.” Catching our thoughts and commands to sleep and replacing them with a new rational mindset and thoughts, with repeated practice and refinement, can help avoid the unwanted stimulation of anxiety, stress, and frustration.
2. If you are not able to fall asleep within 20-30 minutes, get out of bed
This may seem counter-intuitive, however, it is very helpful. The longer we stay in our beds not sleeping, the more we experience anxiety about needing to sleep which decreases our physical relaxation and likelihood of sleep (as mentioned in #1). Instead of tossing and turning in an anxious mess of blankets and sheets, get out of bed. Find a place near some soft light and engage in a calming activity e.g. reading a book, deep breathing, stretching, relaxation techniques, journal, drink calming tea. Do not look at the clock, allow yourself to be fully present and engaged in your calming activity. Periodically check in with yourself to gauge your level of sleepiness. Once you feel tired, re-approach sleeping in your bed. Repeat as needed.
3. Stay consistent with sleep and wake time
For those of us that have experienced jet-lag, we know the negative effects of our internal clock/sleep-wake cycle being thrown off. For those who haven’t experienced jet-lag, you may have experienced the negative physical and mental state following waking up hours earlier than you normally do or staying up way later than your normal bedtime. Inconsistency with sleep and wake time throws off our internal rhythm causing poor sleep quality. The best way to maximize your sleep and avoid disturbance in your sleep-wake cycle is to go to sleep and wake up at the same time (within an hour on weekends) each night and morning.
4. Only use your bed for sleep
When we regularly use our beds for other activities other than sleep, we get psychologically conditioned. Our beds become a place of mental stimulation, leisure, or stress and not of calm, relaxing sleep. If we consistently climb into bed with the intention to sleep, our body gets conditioned to the feel and smell of our bed and registers this in our brains as a place of sleep. This conditioning is very healthy and helpful for facilitating sleep. Conversely, when we are in our bed during activities such as video gaming, watching TV, or doing homework/work tasks, our body associates our bed with these stimulating activities. Then, the process of sleep takes longer to initiate.
5. Write down your to-do list before going to bed
We often have a constant hamster-wheel of thoughts in our heads that prevent us from relaxing and quieting our mind for sleep. These thoughts may be made up of past mistakes, worries, and future tasks needing to be completed. Studies have proven that writing down our to-do lists and worries helps offload our minds and slows down the hamster wheel. It is important to note that you hand-write these to-do lists or worries. Avoiding the use of technology is pertinent to facilitating sleep in the mind and there are more neurological benefits to physically writing these thoughts down.
Should you experience chronic insomnia and/or severe worry and anxiety it is highly suggested that you consult a psychiatrist and mental health professional.
