Practicing Healthy Sleep Practices and Sleep Hygiene to Promote Wellbeing

Sleep plays an important role in our overall well-being, and its significance is even more important when navigating health challenges and seeking emotional wellbeing. Restful sleep can be vital to increasing an individual’s ability to cope, heal and navigate complex emotional situations. This edition of the FCS Behavioral Health Newsletter discusses healthy sleep practices, sleep hygiene and essential tips to enhance sleep quality to improve emotional wellbeing.

Understanding Sleep Hygiene

According to Centers for Disease and Control, sleep hygiene refers to “good sleep habits” that can encourage better sleep. Sleep hygiene could also mean practices promote a conducive sleep environment and encourage restful and sufficient sleep. Sufficient sleep has been shown to facilitate the brain’s processing of emotional information and increase the brains strengthening of positive emotions (Suni & Dimitri, 2023). Sleep can also be vital as a restorative process for managing emotional health and promoting healing. Adequate sleep has also been shown to support the immune system, aid in tissue repair and boost cognitive function. Sleep deprivation on the other hand can make us more sensitive to stressful events and reduce ability to cope effectively with stressful situations (Vandekerckhove & Wang, 2017). This helps us know that healthy sleep is essential to building our coping skills and facilitating mental wellbeing.

Here are some tips to incorporate healthy sleep into your daily routine include:

• Establishing a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to help regulate your body’s internal clock and improves the quality of your sleep.
• Creating a Relaxing Bedtime Ritual: Engage in calming activities before bed, such as reading, gentle stretching, meditation, or deep breathing exercises. These rituals signal to your body that it’s time to wind down.
• Practicing healthy, balanced Diet and Beverages: Avoiding heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol close to bedtime as they can disrupt sleep patterns and make it harder to fall asleep.
• Designing a Comfortable Sleep Environment: Ensuring your sleep space is conducive to rest. This includes a comfortable mattress and pillows, appropriate room temperature, and minimal noise and light.
• Limiting Screen Time: The blue light emitted by phones, tablets, and computers can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Power down devices and reduce screen time at least an hour before bed.
• Moving your body: Engaging in regular, gentle exercise can contribute to better sleep. However, avoid intense workouts close to bedtime, as they might energize you instead.
• Manage Stress: Practicing stress-reduction techniques like mindfulness, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation can help alleviate anxiety and promote relaxation.
• Limiting Naps: While short daytime naps can be refreshing, longer naps can hinder nighttime sleep. Aim for shorter naps earlier in the day.
• Seeking Professional Guidance or support: If sleep challenges persist despite practicing good sleep hygiene, it’s important to consult your healthcare provider or a sleep specialist to support identify underlying issues and develop a tailored plan to address your specific sleep needs.

“Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow.”

-Tim Roth

Prioritizing healthy sleep practices and sleep hygiene can make a significant difference in your overall well-being. Practicing having a restful sleep environment and incorporating these practices into your daily routine can support a healthy mind, enhance your mood, and support the body’s healing process. You can carve some time out to determine how to begin implementing these sleep practices and begin your journey to a healthier you today.

References

• Suni. E, Dimitriu.A (2023, August 3). Mental Health and Sleep. SleepFoundation.org. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/mental-health
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2022, September 13). Tips for Better Sleep. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html
• Vandekerckhove M, Wang YL. Emotion, emotion regulation and sleep: An intimate relationship. AIMS Neurosci. 2017 Dec 1;5(1):1-17. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2018.1.1. PMID: 32341948; PMCID: PMC7181893

Department Contacts and/or Newsletter Contributors

Published: Vol. 1; Issue 9; 2023 Quarter 3 Bulletin