Psychotherapy Offices of Southern Connecticut
WHAT TO DO WHEN HAVING TROUBLE SLEEPING
Sleep deprivation is a major issue in the U.S., impacting approximately 25% of Americans who regularly struggle with sleep problems. A recent survey by the National Sleep Foundation shows that Americans generally get much less sleep than the recommended 7 to 9 hours for adults and 9 to 10 hours for teenagers. This is concerning because many people do not realize that sleep is not a waste of time; it is a crucial human function vital for both mental and physical health. Our brains rely on sleep to perform important tasks, including processing daily information and repairing damage from normal activities. Some experts argue that needing an alarm clock to wake up indicates insufficient sleep. Waking naturally provides the brain enough time to carry out essential self-repair.
Warning Signs:
When should you worry that your sleep problems are serious? Warning signs include difficulty falling asleep, waking up at night, being unable to fall back asleep, or waking up too early. The sleep-deprived describe themselves as tired or exhausted, lacking energy, in a fog, or run-down. Occasionally, feeling this way is normal. Consistent warning signs should be heeded.
Dangers of Poor Sleep:
Chronic sleep deprivation adversely affects mental clarity and mood in a way similar to excessive alcohol intake. Sleeping four hours or less for several nights can impair your functioning comparable to being legally intoxicated. Lack of sleep causes cognitive issues such as slower reactions, difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, and confusion. It is also linked to psychological problems like depression, irritability, and increased anger. Moreover, it can lead to poor job performance, reduced ambition, lower creativity, and diminished sexual desire. People who don't get enough sleep are more likely to make risky, unwise decisions. Overall health suffers when sleep is insufficient, as the immune system weakens, increasing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Sleep deprivation also promotes weight gain by slowing metabolism and raising hunger, especially for high-carb and sugary foods. Elevated stress hormones like cortisol are associated with inadequate sleep, while sufficient rest helps lower stress and disease risk. Ultimately, quality sleep supports a longer, healthier, more productive, and happier life, whereas poor sleep contributes to unhealthiness, unproductiveness, and unhappiness.
Breaking Bad Sleep Habits:
Here are some Do’s and Don’ts to break “bad habits” that interfere with a good night’s sleep and to establish healthy sleep patterns.
1. Create rituals that help you sleep. A consistent, predictable schedule helps the body’s biological clock signal sleep. Take a warm shower or bath before bed. Listen to soothing music. Read for a short time. (Reading helps prepare the brain for sleep by triggering the body’s internal clock.) Go to bed when tired and get out of bed at the same time each day, regardless of your schedule.
2. Do moderate exercise to relieve stress and release built-up adrenaline. But don’t exercise too close to bedtime. You don’t have to be a fitness center addict. A 30-minute walk in daylight helps prepare your body for sleep at night.
3. Keep the bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. Create soothing “white noise” with a fan, an air filter, an air conditioner, or a humidifier.
4. Don’t skimp on a comfortable bed. It’s the one piece of furniture where you spend a third of your life.
5. Don’t eat a large meal before bed. However, a light dairy snack (milk, yogurt, or even ice cream) can help you sleep. Pairing it with a grain (cracker or muffin) is even better. These foods seem to stimulate the release of natural chemicals and hormones that prepare the body for sleep. A bowl of low-sugar cereal is a perfect option, by the way.
6. Don’t engage in stimulating activities, such as computer games or TV, right before bed. The flicker of monitors and TV screens can disrupt sleep, and exciting computer games and TV shows tend to keep you awake.
7. If you can’t fall asleep after about 20 minutes, get out of bed. Tossing and turning for long periods is unproductive and frustrating, creating tension and worry that keep you from falling back asleep. Instead, read, watch some light TV, or do other non-stimulating activities until you’re tired. If reading a book is too much, pick up a magazine, a favorite catalog, or something similar.
8. Do take 10- to 20-minute “power” naps. A short afternoon nap is a habit that experts increasingly recommend to help refresh the mind and meet the challenges of the rest of the day. But don’t rely on longer naps to make up for lost sleep. They are not a healthy substitute for the in-depth brain repair that comes from eight hours of sleep. Waking from long naps disrupts healthy sleep, often leaving the napper tired and disoriented. Longer naps also interfere with regular sleep.
9. Identify unhelpful sleep beliefs and work to change them. For example, the idea that you must get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night to function properly is false and unrealistic. Expecting a bad day after a poor night’s sleep can actually cause that to happen, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy without you realizing it. To prevent bedtime from becoming stressful, avoid stressing over your sleep. Aim to be more tolerant of natural fluctuations in sleep from night to night and reduce stress about your sleep patterns.
10. Don’t drink caffeinated beverages (such as coffee, soda, and chocolate) in the evening.
11. Don’t drink alcohol to help you sleep. A drink can relax you, but it is only a short-term solution. In the long run, alcohol disrupts your sleep throughout the night.
12. Practice meditation, yoga, and other forms of stress reduction. Some practitioners use these practices to help achieve a calmer, more tranquil mood before bed.
13. Pay attention to your overall health. Sleep difficulties may signal mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. Poor sleep may also indicate an underlying medical condition. If your sleep difficulties persist, it would be wise to see your family physician.
Sources:
Sleep and Depression, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2005
The Science of Sleep, Timothy McCahill
The Sleep-Industrial Complex, Jon Mooallem, New York Times Magazine, Nov. 18, 2007, pp. 56-61.