Sleep and mental health: small changes that make a difference

Sleep and mental health are closely linked. Anxiety and depression often disturb sleep, and poor sleep in turn makes low mood, worry and irritability harder to manage. The good news is that this cycle can work in reverse: improving sleep often helps mood, and treating mood often helps sleep.

Habits that help

• Keep a steady wake-up time, including weekends. This anchors your body clock more than a fixed bedtime does.
• Get daylight early. Ten to twenty minutes of morning light, outdoors if you can, helps set your rhythm.
• Use the bed for sleep. If you are awake and frustrated after twenty minutes or so, get up, do something quiet in dim light, and go back when you feel sleepy.
• Watch caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine can linger for many hours. Alcohol may help you drift off but tends to break up sleep later in the night.
• Wind down. Give yourself half an hour before bed away from work, news and bright screens.
• Keep naps short, and early in the afternoon if you take them.

When it is more than a rough patch

If you have trouble falling or staying asleep at least three nights a week for three months or more, and it affects how you function during the day, that may be insomnia. It is worth getting help. Long-term insomnia rarely fixes itself, and it is very treatable.

A structured form of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended first treatment for chronic insomnia. Medication can also play a part for some people, ideally as part of a wider plan. Sleep problems can also be a sign of an underlying condition such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder, which is why a full assessment matters.

Learn more about insomnia treatment at Lampstand Behavioral Health.