Better
Sleep: A Key to Better Mental Health
By Rich Bayer, Ph.D.
When is the last time you had a good night’s sleep?
Chances are, it’s been a while.
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), 6
out of 10 people have some kind of sleep problem. Insomnia or sleep
disorders cause about 40 million Americans to have trouble falling asleep
or staying asleep, or they wake up too early and find they can’t get
back to sleep.
Sleep researchers also estimate that nearly half of
all Americans mismanage their sleep; we stay up too late and get up too
early. This affects our health and safety. It is even more amazing that we
can be chronically sleep deprived, and be completely unaware that lack of
sleep is the cause of our overwhelming fatigue, irritability, fuzzy
thinking, and difficulty staying alert. Children who are sleep deprived
can show symptoms that mimic attention deficit hyperactive disorder.
What happens to us when we get less sleep than we
really need? Research shows that there are many symptoms. One of the first
things to go is our alertness, especially sustained alertness. Motivation
and creativity also suffer, since they require perseverance and when we
are tired we tend to give up faster. Productivity drops off, and we make
more mistakes when we are sleep deprived. One research study reported that
the amount of sleep you get is the single best predictor of general
psychological adjustment. Insufficient sleep also causes physical symptoms
such as fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and impaired immune function (which
makes it harder to fight off disease). We may experience reduced enjoyment
of relationships and sex. Finally, there is an increased tendency toward
accidents, including automobile accidents. Based on NSF research, 100,000
traffic accidents each year are caused by fatigue.
By improving our sleep habits, we can change our
lives for the better. Now is a good time to take a good look at our sleep
since May is National Better Sleep Month.
What factors lead to poor sleep? There are many
causes. It can be as simple as having poor sleep habits, like eating a
heavy meal just before bedtime. Sleep problems can occur more frequently
during periods of stress or depression, or during bouts with anxiety.
These conditions usually are temporary, but may be ongoing. Problems with
sleep may have a physical cause, such as sleep apnea, restless legs
syndrome, pain, hormone fluctuations (especially in women), or
hypoglycemia.
How to Improve Sleep
Watch your diet – Reducing caffeine or
alcohol consumption may improve sleep. Caffeine acts as a stimulant and
may be keeping you awake. Try cutting out caffeine in the afternoons and
evenings and see if this makes a difference. You might think alcohol would
help you to sleep, since it is a sedative. But research shows that while
alcohol may help you fall asleep, it interferes with your ability to stay
asleep. Try cutting out or cutting back on alcohol.
Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime – After
eating a meal, digestion begins. This process competes with sleep. Refrain
from eating a large amount for about three hours before bedtime, though if
hungry a light snack is okay.
Establish a regular schedule for sleep –
Research shows that it helps to have a regular schedule for going to bed
and for waking, and to follow this even on the weekends. Our bodies do
better when trained to follow a routine
Use bedtime relaxation techniques – A
calming activity before bedtime can do wonders for improving sleep. There
are dozens of relaxation strategies: take a warm bath, do stretching
exercises, meditate, pray, listen to gentle music, do yoga, pet a dog or
cat, or read a non-stressful book. Doing this every night allows us to
establish the habit of relaxing, become drowsy, and then falling asleep.
A great book to read about sleep is The Promise of Sleep, by Dr. William Dement. If sleep still eludes
you, talk to your doctor, or seek help from a specialty program like the
Sleep Disorder Center at Union Hospital in Elkton.
Whenever I start seeing a new client in
psychotherapy, one of the first things I ask is "How’s your
sleep?" Sleep is often an
indicator of the level of pain in someone’s life, it is a great
indicator of general adjustment, it can hint at other underlying issues,
and sometimes a few changes in sleep habits can produce remarkable
improvement in a short period of time.
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Rich Bayer, Ph.D., is the CEO of Upper
Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc. and a practicing psychologist.
For More Information Contact:
Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc.
200 Booth Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Tel: 410-996-5104
Toll Free: 877-587-7750
FAX: 410-996-5197
Internet: info@upperbay.org
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