According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 5.4% of Canadians experience depression, and 4.6% experience anxiety. Often, depression and a lack of sleep are linked. Furthermore, insomnia is a prominent symptom of depression. If you have depression, you probably find it hard to fall and stay asleep.
There are hundreds of ways to get a better night’s sleep when you have depression. Antidepressants are one of them, but they have nasty side effects that affect other aspects of your health. We have gathered some of the best ways to combat depression and get better sleep without medication. They’ll help you sleep better, and they may reduce the impact of depression on your mental health.
Make Sleeping a Comfortable, Soothing Experience
You may want to make sleep a relaxing experience by paying attention to your sleeping environment. Investing in high-quality sleep products is a great place to start. Think eye masks, earbuds, and white noise machines. These things are soothing and combat depression’s impact. Thus, relaxation can help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer.
You can go a step further and renovate your bedroom to turn it into a sanctuary. Consider investing in a new mattress, pillows, and sheets. They may enhance your mood and support your body. Furthermore, physical comfort may help you overpower depression. SleepingNorth is a great Canadian website to explore for reviews and advice on sleep-related products.
When looking to improve your sleeping environment, a clutter-free room is more beneficial than a cluttered one. The mere sight of clutter is enough to agitate your emotions. So, take some time to tidy up your room, especially before bed.
Stop Fueling Your Depression
There’s a link between consuming social media content and depression. Looking at people who seemingly live perfect lives in perfect bodies may make you feel bad about yourself. Furthermore, negative comments on your social media posts may harm your self-esteem. So, don’t let the algorithms control you. Be selective about the people you follow and the content you consume.
You don’t have to quit social media altogether, but try to limit your exposure to it. Moreover, your phone’s blue light will mess with your circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep. While you’re at it, avoid negativity as it’s found in the news. Such news stories may paint a bleak view of the world and worsen your symptoms.
Start a Gratitude Journal
Develop a nightly habit of writing about the positive situations you experienced during the day. When you write and remember the happy moments, it’ll snowball and build your self-confidence. As a result, you may keep your depression at bay. It’ll also help you generate more positive thoughts and sleep deeply without annoying dreams.
When you feel sad, read your gratitude journal to relive your happy memories and reduce feelings of sadness. Fill your imagination with happy feelings, and don’t give way to your depression. However, while practicing gratitude can reduce depression, it won’t treat it entirely. Thus, you may want to look into cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to create lasting positive thoughts.
Release Your Natural Antidepressants By Exercising
https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-with-white-sunvisor-running-40751/
Exercise is the best defense against depression. Your exercise routine doesn’t have to be elaborate. Team sports are ideal because they give you physical activity and a chance to socialize. Socializing with other people can help release endorphins, which improve your mood. Worst of all, isolation worsens your depression symptoms.
So, exercise is a win-win. It helps you meet others and enhance your physical health. As a result, you can beat depression and sleep better. The only caveat is to avoid exercising directly before you sleep.
If you don’t want to join a gym or exercise with others, go for a walk in nature. Walking is a fantastic exercise, and it gives you some fresh air. All in all, try to prioritize physical movement, even occasionally.
Avoid Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol will disrupt your sleep and agitate depression. So, try to limit these substances as they do more harm than good. Replace them with a healthy diet, exercise, or hobbies you love.
Initially, alcohol might have a sedative effect and help you sleep. However, when your body metabolizes it, you tend to wake up in the middle of the night. Furthermore, alcohol doesn’t cooperate with the stages of sleep, and it degrades sleep quality over time. If you have sleep apnea, alcohol can worsen your symptoms because it makes breathing a considerable effort.
Take a Warm Shower Before Bed
A warm shower before bed can do wonders as it’ll help you reset your body and promote relaxation. The secret is to prepare your body’s temperature for sleep. When you go to sleep, your body temperature will drop naturally, so many Canadians can’t sleep when the weather is hot.
Furthermore, during a warm shower, your body’s temperature will rise. However, once you’ve finished your shower, it’ll drop. The effect will make you feel groggy, preparing you to fall asleep sooner.
Conclusion
Depression makes falling asleep hard, and sleep can be restorative. Unfortunately, it’s hard to get high-quality sleep when you have depression. So, the best ways to get a night of better sleep despite your depression are investing in high-quality sleep products, exercising regularly, and avoiding alcohol. You may also need to get in touch with a CBT therapist to treat depression at its core. In conclusion, depression affects many Canadians, but it’s a manageable mental illness.
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.
