The effects of poor sleep can seep their way into every aspect of your life. Studies show that poor sleep can negatively impact multiple conditions, from heart disease to diabetes, and it seems obvious, but it can play on your mind too. 

Among other things like a stressful work schedule or unhealthy relationships, mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression can be triggered by lack of or poor quality sleep. On the contrary, when you successfully regulate your sleep routine it can have a positive impact on your mental health. 

So while it may be difficult to pinpoint and treat your mental health conditions directly, or may require lengthly counselling or trialing of various treatments, you can make little changes to work on your sleep that may give you a push in the direction of recovery. 

Overcoming sleep issues can mean leaving behind those groggy grouchy moods and give you better focus and performance in other areas of your life. These are little wins that you can capitalise on to keep the ball rolling in the direction that you want. Here are some ideas that have helped others administrate their sleep cycle. 

Meditation 

If it is in fact your mental health that is preventing you from getting to sleep, taking up a form of meditation can be particularly useful. You don’t have to hum and sit in strange poses, meditation can come in many forms, and it feeds the soul. 

Part of meditation is reclaiming your headspace, expelling dominating negative thoughts, banning dilemmas that can’t be solved now or can’t be solved by being thought about, and allowing peace to take over, if only for a few minutes. This can be used to wind down before bed, or to actually carry you off to sleep. 

Sleep hideaway 

Your bedroom should be a wonderfully cozy and inviting sleep den. If you can’t get comfortable when you sleep it may be time to investigate getting a new mattress. Did you know that different mattresses can target different sleepers and sleep problems? Choose between soft, medium, and firm mattresses that could improve your sleep. 

However inviting your bedroom may be, it needs to represents one purpose only, sleep. If you end up using your bedroom as your lounge, your office, or whatever other activity you want to fit in, it can make it harder for your brain to associate it with sleep. Separate other activities and be sure to ban the screens to promote those sleepy vibes. 

Exiling screens is particularly important if you’re serious about sleep. Staring at a screen has become such an engrained part of our lives, it can be really hard to switch off. Attachment to your phone can have a double impact as viewing other people’s social media versions of their lives can trigger negative thinking patterns and provoke existing issues. 

The key to good sleep that compliments your mental health is learning to switch off. Get comfortable at night, banish your blue light emitting devices form your room along with those unwanted thoughts, save them for a time you can actually do something about them. Make your room about you, and your sleep. 

Mandy X

Author: Mandy Kloppers

Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.