Getting good, quality sleep is essential for mental health. Sleep allows the brain and body to regenerate cells and recoup after a day of working on being alive. Furthermore, sleep can help the brain to remake chemicals that are released throughout the day that are responsible for mood management, which is something that can affect people living with mental health issues. Furthermore, not getting enough sleep can actually make symptoms of mental health issues worse. So, working to get better sleep is a great way to improve mental health. When we implement healthy sleep routines into our lives, we have a better chance of getting the proper amount and quality of sleep our bodies need to function as they should.
There are some things you can implement into your daily routine that can help improve your chance of getting better sleep to improve mental health including:
Many people who experience anxiety and other mental health issues will lay awake in bed stressing and worrying about the upcoming day. This can keep them from getting the sleep they need and even affect the quality of sleep they get. Before going to bed, it can be helpful to set some goals for things you want to achieve in the morning and throughout the day. This can help you to understand that you don’t have to worry and that you have a plan to get things done. And, can hopefully relieve some of the stress that you have so that you’re able to get a better night’s rest.
One issue that many people who have trouble sleeping have is they don’t have a room that is set up for sleep. Having an environment that supports good and healthy sleep is necessary to get good sleep. Some things you can do to improve your sleep environment are to get comfortable bedding, reduce light coming into the room, and turn down the AC (or open the windows if it’s cooler outside). When you set yourself up for a more comfortable sleep, you are more likely to get it.
A great way to get better sleep is to make sure that you’re active every day. Exercise can make the body and brain tired, willing them to sleep easier and deeper. Even getting light exercise every day can do wonders for sleep quality. So, try to get some kind of exercise in and move your body every day so that you can get the sleep you need at night.
People living with mental health issues can benefit greatly by practicing gratitude. Depression and anxiety disorders come with a number of debilitating symptoms that can keep a person from getting the quality and amount of sleep they need. But, practicing gratitude can help keep a person mindful, or living in the present moment. This can help with reducing stress and anxiety levels that can keep a person from getting the sleep they need to improve mental health.
If you find yourself struggling to get the sleep you need due to living with mental health issues, making daily routine changes may not be enough to help. Instead, consider getting help through treatment to address mental health issues along with making these daily changes. Delray Center for Healing offers help for a number of mental health conditions by providing outpatient treatment and therapies. Find out more about our facilities and how we can help today on our website.
Dr. Rodriguez founded the Delray Center in 2003 and built it on a foundation of core clinical, professional, and ethical principles that are adhered to still to this day. Dr. Rodriguez founded the Delray Center in 2003 and built it on a foundation of core clinical, professional, and ethical principles that are adhered to still to this day.