Sleep is a vital part of our health and wellbeing, and yet we rarely take any notice of our sleep patterns until an issue occurs. The time we spend sleeping is restorative for both the body and mind. The Centre for Clinical Interventions promotes sleep as “important for general physical health, restoring energy, repairing injuries or illness, growth, psychological well-being and mood, concentration, memory, work performance, and getting along with others.” Research suggested being sleepy during the day has significant negative education outcomes for children (Drake, Nickel, Burduvali, Roth, Jefferson & Badia, 2003). Like everything in life, we have good and bad habits which impact our sleep. Assessing our sleep hygiene, bedtime routines and nightly habits, can improve our sleep and promote good health and wellbeing.
Typically, sleep cycles through being awake, light sleep, REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and deep sleep.
It is common to wake multiple times each night, however, most times are so short we don’t even remember.
Light sleep is the initial stage of sleep. During light sleep our heart rate and breathing starts to slow as our body relaxes. Light sleep is restorative for our mental and physical wellbeing.
Deep sleep is more prominent in the earlier portion of our
sleep. Our body is less responsive, and it is more difficult to wake someone from a deep sleep. During deep sleep our body relaxes, breathing slows and our heart rate regulates. Deep sleep is important for our physical recovery, memory, learning and supports our immune system.
REM sleep is more prominent in the later portion of our sleep. Our brain is more active, and we are more likely to experience dreams during REM sleep. Our muscles remain inactive to prevent acting out our dreams. Heart rate increases and breathing becomes irregular. REM sleep is important for mood regulation, learning and memory. During REM sleep the brain processes and consolidates information for storage in the long-term memory.
So, what is good sleep hygiene:
- Consider your environment – light, noise and temperature. A room with the temperature between 160C – 190C, dark and quiet is most beneficial for good sleep.
- Assess your bedtime routine – preparing and going to bed. Following the same routine in the 30 to 60 minutes before bed, trains the brain to recognise bedtime and stimulates the body’s sleep processes. A bedtime routine needs to be relaxing to avoid stimulating the body and brain. You might light to try having a warm bath, meditation, or deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation activities. Consider reducing lighting in the room and avoid all electronic devices at least one hour before you are due to go to bed.
- Be consistent in your routine – going to bed and waking up. Maintain consistent sleep and wake times, even on weekends. This is the best way to train your body to sleep well and make you feel better.
- Restrict bed activity to sleep and sex. This will help to build a connection in your brain between your bed and sleeping.
- Avoid napping. When possible resist the urge for a nap during the day as they can seriously affect your ability to achieve quality restorative sleep at night. If a nap is necessary, restrict this to less than 30 minutes which will help reduce risk of deep sleep cycle and never after 3 pm. If you continue to need naps during the day once you are achieving enough, appropriate sleep patterns, consider discussing this with your GP.
- Consider your diet. Limit eating heavy rich meals, especially, those high in sugar and fat prior to bedtime. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine stimulates the brain and the body, while alcohol prevents REM and deep sleep. Additionally, nicotine and marijuana also impact sleep and should be ceased 4-6 hours before bed.
- Exercise improves your health and wellbeing and promotes deep sleep. Schedule exercise at least 3 hours before bedtime to avoid being over stimulated physically.
- Sun, Sun, Sun. Daily exposure to sun, especially in the morning can promote healthy sleep hygiene as our brain links sunlight to being awake. Which is why using electronics at night can be so disruptive to sleep patterns. Try exercising in the morning in the sunlight to help you feel more awake and invigorated as you go about your day.
- If you have difficulty falling asleep consider getting up and doing a boring activity – read a boring book etc. If your mind is worrying about things, consider writing them down like a to do list to be dealt with in the morning.
Regular, good sleep is important for our physical and mental wellbeing. If you’re having any issues with sleep, consider speaking to your GP or contact CQ Psych Services for more information.
How to Access a Psychologist at CQ Psych Services:
- Contact us directly by calling 07 49726929 or email admin@cqpsychservices.com.au
- Ask your GP or health professional to refer you to our clinic.
- Visit our website and complete a ‘Contact Us’ form and one of our friendly staff will reply to your enquiry. Website: https://cqpsychservices.com.au/
Author: Tina Bunge
Reference:
Drake, C, Nickel, C, Burduvali, E, Roth, T, Jefferson, C, & Badia, P, (2003). The Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS): Sleep Habits and School Outcomes in Middle-school Children. Sleep, 26, 4, 2003, pp 455–458.