What role does sleep play in helping us manage distress? What happens if we don’t get enough sleep? What is sleep hygiene?
One of the most important ways in which we can manage distress is to ensure that we are getting enough sleep. This natural human function plays an important role in helping us to stay healthy.
Why is getting enough sleep important? When we are awake, our bodies are consuming energy and producing toxins which are accumulating in different parts of our body. When we sleep, our body gets the opportunity to clear out the toxins. If we don’t get enough sleep we don’t give our body this opportunity which results in our immunity weakening and us becoming susceptible to physical illnesses.
Sleep also has other essential functions such as processing information and events from the day. Lack of sleep negatively affects our mental health and so we may have difficulty focusing and performing at work. It also leads to the development of unhealthy emotions and so we may feel irritable after one sleepless night, and depressed after several sleepless nights. Developing a proper sleep/wake cycle is therefore important to stay healthy and be able to manage distress.
So if you have problems with your sleep, how can you fix them? By practicing sleep hygiene! These are some techniques to use to ensure healthy sleep:
- Avoid certain substances before bedtime; stimulants such as tea, coffee or cigarettes near bedtime make us more alert and prevent us from falling asleep.
- Limit day time naps to 30 minutes; while short naps in the day can be helpful, prolonged napping can prevent us from being able to sleep at night since the body’s need for sleep is fulfilled by napping. However, napping doesn’t have the positive effects of deep sleep.
- Limit certain types of food at dinner; food rich in fats, spices or fried food can disrupt sleep and so should be limited before sleep.
- Establish a routine; sleeping around the same time every day will help our body develop a natural cycle.
- Develop practices that facilitate sleep; practices such as meditation, drinking a warm glass of milk or taking a warm shower can also help us facilitate healthy sleep.
- Switch off devices; watching television or using cell phones stimulates the brain and prevents us from sleeping. Therefore, switching off or putting away devices before sleeping is also very important.
- Exercise regularly; exercise helps us to burn the excess energy that has built up inside of us and facilitates healthy sleep.
- Maintain a pleasant sleep environment; we must ensure that the room is comfortable and there are no lights or noises that can prevent us from sleeping.