Central Coast Magazines Home & Lifestyle Spring 2024

Sleep and Mental Health G etting enough sleep is crucial for your mental health. Among other benefits, it can help with your mood, your memory and your ability to manage stress. Equally, poor sleep can have a negative impact. If you’re regularly struggling to get a good night’s sleep and feeling the impacts the next day, you’re not alone. About 40% of Australians regularly experience poor sleep. There are things you can try that will help. Good sleep supports both your mental and physical health. There is no magic number for how many hours of sleep you should get. Most adults need about 7 to 9 hours every night, but it varies from person to person. Having a poor night’s sleep happens to everyone from time-to-time. But when these symptoms occur over a period, they might indicate a sleep disorder such as insomnia. You may find that your anxiety is worse at night, and you get stuck in a cycle. At first, you're anxious about not being able to sleep, and then you can’t sleep because you feel anxious. Sleep and mental health are two sides of the same coin - each influences the other. Getting enough sleep is a great way to support your mental health and can reduce the risk of anxiety and depression. People who don’t get enough sleep are significantly more likely to experience depression than people who do. Struggling to fall asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and oversleeping can also be symptoms of anxiety or depression. Tips for a good night’s sleep - There are many techniques you can try to achieve better sleep. 1. Regular physical activity - Being active throughout the day can help tire your body to prepare it for sleep. Although make sure to leave 1-2 hours between exercise and bedtime to allow your body to wind down. 2. Morning sunlight to set your body clock - Sun exposure in the morning, and dim lights in the evening, can help align our body clocks to the day-night cycle. This helps us to feel alert during the day and sleepy at night. 3. Limit naps - Taking naps outside your normal sleep hours can disrupt your sleep routine and make it harder to go to sleep when you need to. 4. Reduce caffeine, alcohol and smoking before bed - Stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine can keep your body and mind alert up to seven hours after they're consumed. Alcohol may send you off to sleep faster but can reduce the quality of sleep you have and lead to disruptive sleep. 5. Allow yourself to wind down - Give your body and mind a chance to relax. In the 1-2 hours before bed, unwind through a calming activity like reading, watching TV, or having a bath – whatever works for you. 6. Be consistent with your bedtime - Going to bed at a similar time each night reinforces to your body that it's time to wind down. 7. Set a digital curfew - Avoid screens by turning your phone off or on 'do not disturb' at least 30 minutes before going to sleep. Consider leaving your device in another room. Screen light and apps are designed to trigger hormones in your brain that keep you alert, as can engaging online content. 8. Make your bedroom your sanctuary - Keeping your bedroom quiet, dark and cool will create a healthy sleeping environment. Remove televisions from the bedroom so you're not spending time in bed awake. 9. Leave your worries out of the bedroom - If you find you're over thinking things, it may help to write down the thoughts you're experiencing to get them out of your head. Make a time to revisit them the next day so you know they will be dealt with, but not when you’re trying to sleep. 10. Get out of bed if you can’t sleep - If you’ve been trying to sleep for 30 minutes, but don’t feel sleepy, get up and do a relaxing activity. Avoid looking at your phone or watching TV. Go back to bed once you’re feeling sleepy again. 11. Try not to watch the clock - Taking clocks out of the room can help reduce your stress. It will prevent the counting down of hours until morning, adding to your anxiety. It can help to remind yourself that you’ve managed on poor sleep before. This can also help you relax which makes sleep more likely. Sleep meditation, mindfulness and breathing techniques can help you fall asleep faster by calming racing thoughts. If you are experiencing ongoing trouble getting to, or staying asleep, support from a health professional can help. Visiting your GP can be good place to start, or you can check out the list of mental health professionals on our website. www.beyondblue.org.au

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21 Home & Lifestyle Magazine | Spring 2024