Sleep and Mental Health

With May 15th to May 21st being Mental Health Awareness Week, conversations about how our mental health affects our day-to-day lives are being brought to the forefront. What many people aren’t aware of is how much a good night’s sleep can make a difference to our mental well-being. At TEMPUR® UK, we discuss the relationship between sleep and mental health and provide some useful tips on how to improve your sleep. 

The Relationship of Sleep and Mental Health

The connection between sleep and our mental well-being is much closer than we think; living with low mental health can take a toll on your sleep and a lack of sleep can negatively affect your mental health. 

How does lack of sleep impact mental health?

A lack of sleep can affect your mental well-being in a multitude of ways. This can include: 

• Low mood
• Anxiety
• Poor cognitive functioning (more forgetful or slower thinking than usual)
• Erratic behaviour

Unfortunately, this is when poor sleep and poor mental well-being can become intertwined, as changing mental health can impact the quality of one’s sleep. Below are a couple of examples of how poor mental well-being can affect your sleep.  

• Anxiety can cause repetitive thoughts that can leave you lying awake at night
• Depression or SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) can often make you sleep more, this can include staying in bed for longer and sleeping more often. 
• Depression can also trigger insomnia, making it difficult to fall asleep
• Nightmares or night terrors can disturb our sleep and make it difficult to be in the dark

How Can You Improve Your sleep?

There are multiple ways that you can improve your sleep. Here are some ideas that may work for you: 

Establish a Routine

Establishing a routine can help your body get used to the process of falling asleep and waking up at the right times. This process can start with just going to bed at a specific time each night. However, if you feel that process is not working for you, you can get into the routine of going to bed the moment you feel tired. This may sound like common sense but think back to an evening when you felt tired, stayed up longer and then struggled to fall asleep later in bed.

Relaxation Before Sleeping

Try a new relaxation routine that can help you prepare for your night’s rest. Here are some ideas that you can try:

• The 4 7 8 breathing method
• Listen to calming music 
• Do 20 minutes of yoga before sleep
• Read a book
• Practice meditation

Using a Sleep Diary

If you are finding it difficult to figure out what is affecting your sleep, a sleep diary may be beneficial for you. They are primarily used for recording information about your sleep habits and the issues that may occur while you sleep. Plus, by also noting the circumstances surrounding your sleep (for example, anything stressful that has happened that day), you may be able to determine the causes of your sleeping problems.

Some key points to note in your sleep diary can be:

• What time you go to bed and what time you get up
• The overall quality of sleep, ranked 1–5
• Whether you have nightmares, night terrors or sleep paralysis
• Whether you have sleepwalked during the night

Other ways to improve your sleep include:

• Regular exercise
• Avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed
• Reducing your screentime or avoiding screens altogether before bed

If self-help methods do not work for you, please contact your local doctor and seek professional help.

Do you have any techniques you use to reduce stress and sleep better? Let us know by getting in touch with us on Facebook or Instagram.