Sleep smarter, Live better: What’s the connection between quality sleep and better emotional health?

Wake up feeling better with our guide to sleep hygiene. Image courtesy of Unsplash.

Welcome to our guide on achieving a restful night's sleep through effective sleep hygiene practices. In today's fast-paced world, quality sleep is more essential than ever for overall well-being. Here we’ll take a look at the relationship between sleep and emotional health and offer practical tips to enhance your sleep hygiene for mental health and wellbeing.

Have you ever noticed that you don’t cope as well as when you’ve had a bad night’s sleep compared with a good night’s sleep where you wake up feeling fresh and ready to go? You’re not alone!

A study by Walker, M. P., & van der Helm, E. (2017) looks at how sleep can affect our emotions and whether getting a good night's sleep can be therapeutic for our emotions.

The researchers explored different aspects of brain function, like our emotional reactions, ability to handle stress, and memory of emotions. They found that getting quality sleep can positively affect our emotional well-being, almost like a form of therapy! This study is just one of many that show the significant relationship between sleep and emotional resilience. I hope you find this information helpful!

What are the positive mental health impacts of good sleep?

Positive brain impacts of good sleep. Image courtesy of Unsplash

Improved Memory Retention

Sleep is crucial for consolidating recent memories for long-term storage, which is important for enhancing productivity and optimising task efficiency by improving the ability to recall recent information and conversations accurately and promptly.

Enhanced Emotional Well-being

During sleep, our brains are actively processing emotions, which helps to improve our mood upon waking up. This is a crucial time that allows our minds to restore emotional resilience, enabling us to respond thoughtfully to various situations throughout the day. When the volume or quality of our sleep is compromised, the brain loses the essential time required for emotion processing, potentially leading to heightened negative emotional reactions. Therefore, sufficient and quality sleep is key to nurturing a positive and balanced emotional state.

Better Focus and Concentration

Lack of sufficient sleep can negatively impact our ability to concentrate and make wise decisions. A night of sleep deprivation can impair the brain's ability to regulate essential areas associated with awareness, alertness, and decision-making. Giving priority to getting quality sleep is crucial to maintaining optimal cognitive function and ensuring that our minds are sharp and alert when faced with tasks that require focus and effective decision-making.

How to Make a Sleep Hygiene Plan

Make a sleep hygiene plan. Image courtesy of Unsplash

• Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule

  One of the fundamental principles of good sleep hygiene is maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body's internal clock and improves the quality of your sleep.

• Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment

  Your sleep environment plays a crucial role in the quality of your rest. Ensure your bedroom is conducive to sleep by keeping it cool, dark, and quiet. Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows to support proper spinal alignment.

• Limit Exposure to Screens Before Bed

  Electronic devices emit blue light that can interfere with your body's production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. You can set up a screen-free zone at least an hour before bedtime to improve your sleep hygiene.

• Mind Your Diet and Hydration

  What you eat and drink can significantly impact your sleep. Maintaining a healthy well-balanced diet appropriate for your individual needs is an important element of a balanced lifestyle that impacts how well you sleep.

• Minimise Alcohol, Caffeine, and Heavy Meals Before Bed

  Steering clear of alcohol, caffeine, and substantial meals in the evening is a prudent choice for your physical and mental well-being. Disrupted sleep is just one of the consequences associated with these substances. Consider refraining from consuming large meals at least two to three hours before bedtime, promoting a more restful and rejuvenating night's sleep.

• Cultivate a Relaxing Bedtime Routine

  Developing a calming bedtime routine signals your body that it's time to wind down. Engage in activities such as reading, gentle stretching, practising relaxation techniques, and bathing or showering.

• Try a bedtime Gratitude Practice

  Practising gratitude at bedtime improves pre-sleep thoughts and worries and helps us to put the day behind us, focus on what we’re grateful for and find the good in our lives.

Take action

By planning and implementing these evidence-based sleep hygiene practices, you’ll proactively enhance your mental well-being through improved sleep. These tips are not an exhaustive list but they are a great start. You might like to print this post or write your own list of things that work for you. Remember habits begin with cues and routines. Be patient with yourself while you’re training your body for better sleep and set yourself up for success. If you have a blanket that signals sleep time to your body or a favourite sleep app, piece of music or calming fragrance you like, get them out and place them somewhere to be reminded to use them. Remember taking care of your sleep is the first step towards better mental health and wellbeing.

Stay Safe and Well

Kim

References

American Academy of Sleep Medicine. (2015). The International Classification of Sleep Disorders – Third Edition (ICSD-3). Darien, IL: American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Buysse, D. J. (2014). Sleep health: Can we define it? Does it matter? Sleep, 37(1), 9–17.

Grandner, M. A., Jackson, N. J., Gerstner, J. R., & Knutson, K. L. (2019). Sleep symptoms associated with intake of specific dietary nutrients. Journal of sleep research, 28(6), e12878.

Hirshkowitz, M., Whiton, K., Albert, S. M., Alessi, C., Bruni, O., DonCarlos, L., ... & Neubauer, D. N. (2015). National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep health, 1(1), 40-43.

Medic, G., Wille, M., & Hemels, M. E. (2017). Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption. Nature and science of sleep, 9, 151–161.

Perlis, M. L., Grandner, M. A., Zee, J., Bremer, E., Whinnery, J., Barilla, H., & Drummond, S. P. (2015). Durability of treatment response to cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia delivered in a brief format: A one-year follow-up study. Behavior therapy, 46(3), 353-362.

Walker, M. P., & van der Helm, E. (2017). Overnight therapy? The role of sleep in emotional brain processing. Psychological bulletin, 143(5), 549.