Have you ever experienced a series of sleepless nights? Maybe you've been feeling sluggish and short tempered lately? Our quality of sleep is so important in leading healthy, positive lives.
You physical and mental health is directly linked to your quality of sleep. A healthy sleep leads to a healthy and productive day.
What are the signs that I am not getting enough sleep? And how do I go about changing this? Today's blog discusses what tools you can use to promote a healthier sleep routine.
A lack of sleep presents in many ways (physically and mentally) but commonly, these symptoms are subtle and unexpected. Being deprived of sleep is more than just feeling tired at work, people will experience a decreased stress threshold, cravings of junk food and feeling anxious.
If you have been feeling any of the above symptoms and know that you are not getting the recommended hours of sleep each night, we have listed some healthy habits to put your body back into rhythm.
Limited exposure to devices
We all know that the blue-light emitted from our screens excites our brains, resulting in a feeling of alertness and not a feeling of sleepiness. Research has recommended not using screens for an hour before you call it a night. If you are like most people, you'll understand that this is quite difficult. We all want to watch that one last episode or send that last email right before going to bed. Therefore, we need to be finding a happy medium between what the research recommends and what is realistic. An achievable compromise would be to practice some mindfulness techniques before bed (see our mindfulness blog here), find a good book that you can't bear to put down or listen to soothing sounds of nature. y withdrawing from screens in the time leading up to falling asleep you will find that you wake up feeling more rested, refreshed and energised.
Sleeping log
A sleeping log sounds like a lot of effort from the outset, however it is quite simple once you get started. All you need to do is promote accountability in your sleep schedule. This can be done by tracking the time you go to bed and the time you wake up. If you are interested, you can also record what dreams you had, and if you felt energised when you woke up.A sleeping log can be kept in many forms. If you are an iPhone user, you can set up your sleep schedule using your 'Clock' app and this will help to promote the necessary structure for maintaining a healthy sleep pattern.
If you are interested in discussing any of the points further, we would be more than happy to hear from you. Feel free to send an email to admin@youmatterpsychologists.com.au and we will answer any questions you may have.
