4 Ways to Sleep Better and to Keep Your Mental Health in Check

Sleep disorders like insomnia are often a sign of depression, anxiety, ADHD, or a number of other mental disorders. Conversely, sleep deprivation has been known to amplify mental illnesses. 

A healthy amount of sleep is necessary in order to remain healthy -- not just physically, but mentally, as well. And while this is easier said than done, it’s a challenge that can be surmounted by taking stock and making a few lifestyle tweaks to give yourself exactly what your mind and body need for optimum sleep. 

Here are some tips from The Now With Nat to get your sleep schedule back on track.

Check your sleep/wake cycle

Here’s a fact: your sleepiness and wakefulness are governed by the circadian rhythm, which is essentially your body’s internal clock. Understanding and keeping this complex timekeeper balanced is the very key to sleeping better and, subsequently, staying healthy holistically. Fundamentally, this entails keeping to a consistent sleep/wake schedule daily. This also means resisting the temptation of late nights and sleeping in during the weekends, as well as long naps.

Check your sleep environment

Another thing that also plays a huge role in ensuring that you get quality sleep is your sleep environment. Experts agree that the perfect environment should be “cool, quiet, and dark” -- that is to say, free from light sources and sound that could wake you up and in a comfortable temperature that remains consistent throughout the night. 

Your sleep surface is also an extremely important consideration, which makes a good mattress a real necessity. Some mattresses are better than others, though, and most people don’t know what to look for when buying one. However, memory foam mattresses are almost always a safe bet. These come in varying degrees of firmness, ranging from soft to firm. They can also be foam only or hybrid, flippable, or single-sided. It’s a good idea to take your needs, based on sleep style and firmness, into account when shopping for one. 

Likewise, it’s also possible that your mattress could be harboring germs or allergens that are making sleep difficult. As this is a common but often overlooked problem, it’s a good idea to check Angi for a professional who cleans furnitureand browse the ratings and reviews to find someone who can put you one big step closer to a good night’s sleep.

Check what you consume

What you regularly consume in terms of food and drink has a legitimate effect on how well you sleep and, by extension, your mental health. At the most basic level, this means forgoing caffeine, sugar, and other heavy food that may induce heartburn and wakefulness at night. However, it’s also interesting to note that there are certain items that actually promote better sleep, such as complex carbs and dairy. Some fruits and nuts also contain the sleep hormone melatonin, as well as antioxidants, which all have positive effects on sleep.

Check your routine

 Finally, your routine has a huge bearing on both how well you sleep and maintain your mental health. So consider your bedtime routine. If you’ve ever tried sleeping with anxiety and an overactive mind, you’ll know that it can be downright frustrating and all sorts of exhausting. But by incorporating calming activities to your nightly routine, you have the opportunity to go easy on stimulation, wind down, and ultimately, relax. Putting down your electronic devices a good hour or two before bedtime also helps, as does a relaxing stretch or meditation practice. 

 Another great strategy is to streamline your work routine so that you can identify areas where you might be spinning your wheels and inadvertently increasing your own anxiety. To help, ZenBusiness suggests keeping a work diary. This has the added benefit of reducing stress because instead of trying to remember every single thing you have to do the next day, you can simply refer back to your own notes. This also highlights your successes while allowing you to learn constructively from anything that might not have worked out as well as you intended.

Getting good sleep and maintaining your mental health are both challenging tasks that unfortunately can’t be swept under a rug. Fortunately, they’re not mutually exclusive, so you can hit two birds with one stone simply by making these strategic adjustments to your life. 

At The Now With Nat, I work with companies who care for their employees’ well-being. I set up virtual Wellness Coaching, Yoga, and Meditation that, over time, will decrease stress, increase productivity and lead to workplace excellence. Contact me today!