Tools for Sleep Hygiene and Self-Care
By Adam Cook and Dr. Yakov Barton
When stress envelops your life, due to a major loss or life transition, good sleep is often the first thing to take a hit. It may not seem like losing a few hours of sleep can make a serious impact on your daily life, but you may discover those restless nights are taking a significant toll on your emotional well-being and reserves. Here are some sleep hygiene tips that can be helpful for falling asleep and staying asleep through the night.
Self-care practices
It’s important to care for your needs while grieving the loss of a person or relationship, recovering from a traumatic experience, or navigating any major life transition. Whether through psychotherapy, increased exercise, healthy eating, building social support, or spending time in nature, self-care is one of the most valuable tools to improve sleep and overall well-being. Perpetuating this positive “upward spiral” is invaluable in dealing with an array of challenging emotions you are likely experiencing during this difficult time. Self-care promotes better sleep, which bolsters emotional reserves, all building helpful momentum through a positive cycle.
Watch your pre-bedtime habits
Your routine prior to sleep has a significant impact on your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and experience high quality sleep. Try to avoid coffee and nicotine before bedtime; both chemical are stimulants that have long-lasting effects. Scientists say caffeine remains active in your system all day, so drinking coffee after 2 PM can negatively impact your sleep. Try to limit mild caffeine consumption to the morning. On the opposite end of the spectrum, alcohol and cannabis may appear to help you get to sleep more quickly, they can disrupt sleep cycles and lead to a diminished quality of rest. They can cause fitful, shallow rest—leaving you feeling exhausted and emotionally drained the next day.
Watching television, reading on your phone, or playing video games within 2-3 hours before bed confuses your internal clock. The blue light that electronic devices emit inhibits the slower brain waves that allow you to fall and stay asleep. Try to keep electronic devices out of your bedroom. Instead, use the time to slow your mind with deep breathing exercises, mindfulness, or qigong practice. You may also want to read a calming book or listen to soothing music to relax. You will find that, as you change your bedtime habits, you will eventually begin to fall into a regular rhythm. This is important because going to bed at the same time every night, and staying asleep for the same duration, is good for your sleep quality and overall health.
Gadgets and tools to support quality sleep
If you are experiencing insomnia, it can be tempting to try to find tools or gadgets that promise to help you get better sleep. However, most gadgets available will only cause you to spend your money unnecessarily. You may find some benefit from smart alarm clocks or sleep apps, but in general, you will get the best value for your money by investing in light, comfortable, and breathable sheets, a mattress and pillow designed for your sleeping style, and cultivating a bedroom that is cool, quiet, and dark. Depending on your age, you may require a different kind of mattress. Older individuals can benefit from mattresses that provide increased back support and engonomic adjustability. The way you sleep also determines the kind of mattress you need. For instance, back-sleepers need firmer mattresses, while side-sleepers need softer ones. Comfortable eye masks are also useful, particularly if you sleep in a room that is overly bright.
Good sleep is invaluable to your emotional health, so give yourself this gift by practicing self-care, improving your pre-sleep routine and sleep schedule, and arranging your room for optimal sleep. Taking care of yourself in these ways will empower you to process your stresses and move through challenging life transitions in a healthy way. If you find that you need further assistance with managing major life stressors and improving your quality of sleep, please consider scheduling psychotherapy support with Oakland Psychological Services or reach out to us for a referral to a sleep specialist.
Adam Cook is a contributing author for Oakland Psychological Services.