The Importance of Sleep on Your Mood
Sleep is important to your overall health and well-being.
I know. I know. You’ve heard this before, haven’t you?
That a regular good night’s sleep protects your immune system, helps you lose weight, reduces inflammation, improves memory, and strengthens your heart.
Did you also know that enough sleep improves mood and reduces stress?
I have a friend who doesn’t drink much caffeine. She calls it “caf-mean,” because of the way she feels and acts when she’s had a few cups.
That’s how I feel when I don’t get enough sleep. I’m more on edge. My tolerance becomes non-existent for screaming children, traffic, or any other routine annoyance. I feel less motivated and more frustrated. I don’t like feeling that way!
“Sleep and mood are closely connected; poor or inadequate sleep can cause irritability and stress, while healthy sleep can enhance well-being. Chronic insomnia may increase the risk of developing a mood disorder, such as anxiety or depression.” (www.healthysleep.med.harvard.edu)
For quite some time, I allowed myself the leisure of nightly phone scrolling. The house was quiet, I got to lie in bed awake and unbothered by any other humans, and I could catch up on what was happening.
Unfortunately, I frequently got sucked into the device with an invisible HOLE in the bottom of it. You know the one? Just five more minutes and then I’ll put it down. Just until midnight. Okay, it’s after midnight, so just until 12:30.
Just a few more minutes and then….
But no amount of time makes us feel finished. The device in my hand is never “finally complete,” resulting in me being done.
Thus, the HOLE.
Perhaps you have other means of missing out on sleep besides scrolling online. Working on things that could wait until tomorrow. Procrastinating getting ready for bed. Falling asleep downstairs and moving to your bed in the middle of the night.
Maybe you’re laughing at this in “sleep-deprived-parent” or “too-stressed-to-sleep-well” mode.
You’re thinking, “Hah! I’d sleep more if I could!”
I understand.
Imagine sleep the same you do eating and drinking. Don’t eat or drink enough and you won’t feel well or function well.
Seek out opportunities to rest the same you seek out opportunities to eat and drink: When time affords that ability.
Ask for help to take a break and rest. Nap.
But why do we sometimes feel guilty when we rest? Why would we ask a friend, family member, or hired professional to care for our children so that we can go eat at a restaurant, but asking one of those same people to provide care so that we can sleep feels…. Shameful?
We accept coffee with a friend, a meal brought to us, or a visit from a friend when we’re sick or grieving, but we don’t get offered accommodations to rest. And we don’t ask for it, either.
Our culture promotes working hard to a fault. “Pull up your bootstraps!”
Working hard is great! Unless you aren’t balancing that work with rest.
You deserve it. It’s necessary to survive!
However you’re avoiding restful sleep, intentionally or not, small changes, incrementally over time, add up to make a big difference.
-Adding 10 minutes to your usual sleep time is a great start.
-Add one new sleep hygiene practice a week. Maybe a relaxation technique, like showering or taking a hot bath before bed, or stopping all screens thirty minutes before bedtime.
As with all new things,
-Stay with it for a while.
On average, it takes at least two months to fully form a new habit. If showering before bed makes you feel more awake, try something else. Just keep trying and stick with it!
Work on changing old habits to make new ones. Change your sleep habits and improve your sleep hygiene. There are great articles and suggestions at: www.sleepfoundation.org
If you have been trying to improve your sleep habits but continue to struggle falling or staying asleep, you may require additional medical assistance. You could have an underlying medical issue that requires intervention, including a sleep disorder. Reach out to your physician for more information.
This post was written by Jessica Flood, MSW, and published by Convenient Counseling Services.
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