We all know that we do not feel as energetic as we normally do if we have a poor night’s sleep. However, did you know that poor quality, inconsistent and reduced sleep can have a negative impact our mental health? In this current pandemic climate, where stress may be increased, sleep cannot be underestimated in its positive impacts.
Here are some facts about lack of sleep:
- Improving sleeping practices, depth and duration can improve physical and mental health significantly1.
- Shift workers who do not develop regular sleeping patterns have an increased risk with poor sleep quality and the negative impacts of sleep deprivation may impact their mental health2.
- Sleep duration has reduced by an hour over the last couple of decades3.
- Reduced sleep increases your cortisol levels, increasing stress.
Good sleep practices may improve our overall mental health. Here are some of my top tips for good sleep hygiene:
- Ensure your bedroom is dark, and silent
- Keep your climate controlled (18-20⁰C)
- Avoid using using electronic devices for 1hr prior to bedtime
- Try to be consistent with your bedtime and duration of sleep
- Introduce mindfulness practice prior to sleep
I would highly recommend watching this TEDX talk on sleep being our superpower:
Keep an eye out for Maddy’s video where she talks through her tips for good sleep hygiene in more detail. If you’d like to read more about the link between sleep and pain, click here. If you have any questions, please contact us on 9439 6776.
This blog is written by Callum Randell, Physiotherapist at Back In Motion Eltham.
References:
- Tanaka, H., & Furutani, M. (2013). Sleep management promotes healthy lifestyle, mental health, QOL, and a healthy brain. In Biomedical engineering and cognitive neuroscience for healthcare: interdisciplinary applications (pp. 211-224). IGI Global.
- Kotera, Y., Cockerill, V., Chircop, J. G., & Forman, D. (2021). Mental health shame, self‐compassion and sleep in UK nursing students: Complete mediation of self‐compassion in sleep and mental health. Nursing Open, 8(3), 1325-1335.
- Chaput, J. P. (2010). A good night's sleep for a healthier population. American journal of preventive medicine, 38(3), 349.