Sleep Hygiene
Getting adequate sleep each night and maintaining healthy sleep habits is known as sleep hygiene. It is an important aspect of physical wellness because having too little sleep can lead to:
- Drowsiness
- Inability to concentrate
- Impaired memory
- Reduced physical strength
- Diminished ability to fight off infections
(Columbia University Department of Neurology, n.d)
Many students may struggle with balancing school, work, families and their personal life and adequate sleep may be one of the first aspects of wellness to be sacrificed in order to make time for other activities. Improving sleep quality will not only help students be more physically well but it will also improve their mental health.
A study in the Netherlands found that chronic sleep deprivation lead to chemical changes in the brain that were similar to major depression. (Novati et al, 2008). Additional studies (Hafner et al, 2017, Irwin et al, 2012, Saghir et al, 2018, Wiebe et al, 2012) found that lack of sleep can also be linked to depression, anxiety, increased pain, mood disorders and heightened emotional state.
Individuals will benefit physically, mentally and psychologically from creating and implementing healthy sleep habits.
These are a few helpful tips to promote better sleep hygiene
1. Establish a sleep routine.
Set yourself a bedtime that allows you to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night and stick to it. Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. Include an activity like reading, doing a puzzle or listening to guided meditation before bed to quiet your thoughts before settling for the night. Try not to nap throughout the day. If you must nap, limit the time so you will still be able to sleep at night.
2. Have a comfortable sleep environment.
Use some sort of window covering to make the environment dark enough to promote a good sleep. If noise is an issue, try using headphones, earplugs or a white noise device such as a fan to drown out any outside noise. Keep the bedroom at a cool temperature. Try to avoid sleeping with piles of books, laundry or additional clutter on your bed and consider moving those items to the floor or a shelf instead.
3. Avoid overuse of electronics throughout the day but especially before bed.
Try to stop watching television or scrolling through your phone at least 30 minutes prior to going to sleep. In general, you should limit the use of electronics throughout the day to prevent eyestrain and headaches. Take a social media break and give your emotional and mental health a rest right before attempting to sleep.
4. Avoid foods that can make it difficult to sleep.
Try to limit nighttime snacking, especially right before bed. For some people, foods that are high in fat, fried foods, heavy or dense foods, things that are spicy or carbonated drinks may trigger indigestion or heartburn that could be painful and disrupt sleep. In addition to limiting food, try not to drink too much liquid right before bed either.
5. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants, tobacco and alcohol before bed.
Try not to ingest anything high in caffeine before bed. This would include coffee, some teas, chocolate, pop, energy drinks or other substances used to keep you awake. If you smoke, try not to smoke right before you lay down to sleep. Additionally, try to limit alcohol consumption during the day as well as before bed. “Although alcohol may help bring on sleep, after a few hours it acts as a stimulant, increasing the number of awakenings and generally decreasing the quality of sleep later in the night. It is therefore best to limit alcohol consumption to one to two drinks per day, or less, and to avoid drinking within three hours of bedtime. (Epstein, 2007).
Some psychoactive drugs, prescription and recreational, have a negative effect on the wake-up and sleep inducing mechanisms. “Amphetamine, methylphenidate, and cocaine are known to act pharmacologically by blocking the reuptake and enhancing the release of noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin within the synaptic cleft of monoamine synapses” (Staner, 2005). What this means is that certain drugs stimulate you and keep you awake, thereby making it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. At the opposite end of the spectrum, depressant drugs and sedatives make it hard for your body to wake up and stay awake. All of this manipulation interferes with the body’s natural sleep rhythm, reducing both the quantity and quality of sleep.
6. Exercise regularly
Getting some sort of physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day can greatly improve overall wellbeing and assist with better sleep quality. One study found that less than 30 minutes of physical activity per day was a risk factor for lower sleep quality in medical students (Brick, 2010). Going for a walk, doing a few pushups each morning, doing an online aerobics or yoga class and even household chores or yard work can count as physical activity.
Resources
The following resources may be helpful if you are looking to improve sleep quality and quantity:
- Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock: Free with offers for in-app purchases. Available on iOS and android. https://www.sleepcycle.com/
- Sleepio: the sleep improvement app: Free with offers for in-app purchases. Available only on iOS https://www.sleepio.com/
- Insight Timer: A meditation app for sleep and relaxation: Free with offers for in-app purchases. Available on iOS and android: https://insighttimer.com/
Sleep Conditions
There are several sleep conditions to be aware of that may make it difficult for people to fall asleep or stay asleep. Good sleep habits are even more important for people experiencing these sleep issues.
Some sleep disorders that may cause sleep disturbances are:
- insomnia
- Insomnia is characterized by trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or difficulty waking up. Insomnia is often caused by poor sleep hygiene, not having a good sleep routine or drinking/using stimulants before bed. Some medications used to treat depression as well as some steroids can also cause insomnia.
- sleep apnea
- Sleep apnea is when the airway becomes partially or completely blocked while sleeping causing extreme snoring and repeated wake-ups. Sleep apnea could cause hundreds of wake-ups if left untreated leading to daytime drowsiness and increased risk of serious health conditions.
- periodic limb movements
- Periodic limb movements or PLM’s is when arms or legs twitch or move, sometimes violently, during the night. This can occur hundreds of times a night causing wake-ups but is usually not remembered by the individual.
- sleep terrors
- Sleep terrors are extreme forms of nightmares that can cause intense fear. Typically, an individual will wake up scared and screaming and may have a hard time waking up. They may also not remember the episode.
- sleepwalking
- Sleepwalking affects about 1% of adults and "can be triggered by stress, anxiety, excessive alcohol, or epilepsy” (Epstein, 2007).
Having one of these disorders may continually disrupt your sleep and negatively impact your sleep hygiene. If you believe you may have one of these disorders, please consult with your doctor.
Too Much Sleep
Just as not having enough sleep can be problematic, sleeping too much can also have negative effects.
Sleeping too much has been linked to:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Depression
- Headaches
(Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2020)
Feeling extra sleepy could be because of an underlying health condition preventing restful sleep or it could be a side effect of some medications. If you require more that 8-9 hours of sleep each night to feel rested, you should consult with a doctor. As well, excessive fatigue combined with joylessness and lack of motivation could be signs of depression. If you feel like your sleep is being impacted by any of these conditions, please consult with a doctor.