There appears to be a connection between good sleep and good mental health. However, mental health conditions can make it difficult to get good sleep. At the same time, sleeping poorly can raise your stress and anxiety levels. Because there’s such a strong connection between sleep and mental health, it’s crucial to find ways to maintain good sleep habits. Luckily, there are many things you can do at home that don’t require medical intervention.
Improve Your Sleep Through Exercise
One of the easiest ways to get a better night’s sleep is to get in the habit of exercising. Here are a few tips.
- Exercise can make you physically tired, but it can also reduce stress that keeps you up.
- Yoga and meditation is great to do right before bed, as it helps you deeply relax.
- Intense workouts may actually inhibit sleep if you don’t leave time to unwind afterwards.
Pay Attention to Diet
In addition to exercising, eating the right foods can significantly improve your sleep. Here are a few things you may want to add to your diet, as well as a few you might want to limit — at least before bed.
- Coffee, soda and other caffeinated beverages should be avoided a few hours before bed.
- Similarly, alcohol can make it hard to get a restful night’s sleep.
- Instead of having a nightcap, drink an herbal tea that aids relaxation and helps you sleep.
- Certain foods can even make you feel sleepy.
- Even if you eat foods that help you sleep, you may not want to eat too close to bedtime.
Control Sources of Stress
While diet and exercise can have a profound effect on your mental health — and therefore your sleep quality — there’s more to it than that. Here are a few ideas for improving your sleep by stopping stress at the source.
If you are struggling with your mental health, counseling from Wellness Psychiatry can help treat anxiety and depression.
- Finding techniques to stop thinking about work at the end of the day can help you relax.
- Similarly, reducing clutter throughout your home may boost your mental health and give you a more positive outlook.
Healthy Sleeping Habits
Focusing on healthy sleeping habits can greatly improve your quality of sleep.
- Create a bedtime routine, keep it consistent, keep it simple (brush your teeth, washing your face, putting on pajamas)
- Practice winding down for 30 minutes (meditation, stretching, soft music)
- Keep your room dark, otherwise you may inhibit melatonin production which is key to healthy sleep
- No electronics for 30-60 minutes before bed Sleeping well is critical for your overall health.
If you’re finding it difficult to consistently get a good night’s sleep, it might be time to try some new techniques. Luckily, there are many effective home remedies such as exercising more, changing your diet or even removing sources of stress in your home.